Several years ago in a communist country, one Pastor preached the Gospel boldly.
And within two years, the members swelled to five thousand.
But success can be dangerous in a communist country. Authorities stationed police officers in front of the church on Sundays, cradling machine guns. They hired thugs to attack the pastor. They confiscated his ration book so he couldn't buy food or fuel. Finally, they decided to send him into exile.
But when police arrived to hustle the pastor away, they where stopped cold. Around the entrance of the church stood a wall of humanity.



Members of the churches ─ Baptist. Adventist. Pentecostal. Methodist. Evangelical. Catholic ─ had joined together to protest.
Though the police tried to disperse the crowd, the people held their post all day and into the night.
Then just after midnight, a boy pulled out a packet of candles. He lit one and passed it to his neighbor.



When the pastor peered out the window, he was struck by the warm glow reflecting off hundreds of faces.
That moment, he said later, was the "turning point in my life." His religious prejudices evaporated.
Here were members of the body of Christ, completely disregarding denominational divisions, joining hands in his defense.
It was a moving testimony to Christian unity and to those who truly love God..
those who know that we should stand up to tell who we are ─ that no one can beat any of God's children.
The crowd stayed all through the night and the next night. Finally the police broke through.
They bashed in the church door,bloodied the pastor's face then paraded him and his wife through the crowd and out into the night.
But that was not the end.
No, the religious protest led ─ as it always does ─ to political protest.
The people streamed to the city square and began a full-scale demonstration against the communist government.
Again the boy passed out his candles.



First they had burned for Christian unity; now they burned for freedom.



This was more than the government could tolerate. They brought in troops and ordered them to open fire on the crowd. Hundreds were shot.
The young boy felt a searing pain as his leg was blown off. But the people stood bravely against the barrage of bullets.
And by their example they inspired population of that country.
Within days the nation had risen up and the dictator was gone.
For the first time in half a century, they celebrated Christmas in freedom.
The young boy celebrated in the hospital, where he was learning to walk with crutches.
His pastor came to offer sympathy but the boy wasn't looking for sympathy.
"Pastor, I don't mind so much for the loss of a leg. After all it was i who lit the first candle."
─ the candle that lit up an entire country.

With a candle, a boy sparked a revolution that is still being felt today. We may not be in the same experience as what these people had gone through but still darkness always covers our hearts, stopping us to share God's word and tell how awesome our God is. Thanks to those people, like this boy, who were willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel and for basic human rights. We may not have to face the barrage of bullets and police troops.. we may not have to be killed and wait all day all night just to let others know how we love God.. how we give honor to Him.
We can make a difference wherever we are if we are willing to take a stand. Don't wait for everyone else to do it.
Be the first to light your candle.