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For the second year in a row, my husband and I journeyed to Enid, OK the day after Thanksgiving for the lighting celebration for "The One". This gift to Oklahoma was the brain child of Kyle Williams, owner of Williams Media, and his family. This year was bigger and better than ever. People stretched for miles around the tree and stage
Last year's tree was 140 ft. tall. The week after the "lights on" the wind came sweeping down the plain (yes, it's not just song lyrics, it really does!) and the tree got shorter by several feet as the top blew off. Not to be deterred, the engineers at Williams Media found a way to put the top back on, complete with a star at the top. The tree was now a bit taller. It lasted the rest of the celebration.
This year, the staff prepared in advance. The new tree, also 140 Ft. tall, was reinforced prior to raising. It is secured by guy wires that would hold a radio tower in place.
The tree is surrounded by smaller trees, an ice rink and stage. For the opening celebration, choirs sang, bands played and Alan Clepper, morning show host on KOFM was joined by Scott Smith of K-Love. Jumbotrons made it easy to see the stage happenings from the back of the crowd. The message of the "Christ-Mass" Tree and of peace, love and hope was delivered to the masses. Then, the lights came on! People cheered! Children laughed.
Next, the firework display began, framing the tree and adding spectacle to the night.
Yes, "The One" has a religious theme. It is there to remind us all of the baby that joined humanity to save us whose birth we celebrate every December 25. Sometimes this reason for the season gets buried in other holiday traditions: Santa Claus, Christmas trees, light displays, gift giving. But, if you think about it, all of these accompanying traditions herald back to Christ: light of the world, spirit of giving, kindness to others, evergreen symbolizing eternal life.
I can't say that everyone who attended the ceremony views Christ as their savior. There were a mix of people, and probably a mix of religious views, including agnostics. Enid, OK is a conservative city. It's a small town by most measurements. It reminds me of Mayberry or the way life was 50 years ago when children could run out to play each morning and only had to be back home by dinner time. Parents didn't have to worry about their safety when they played or went to school.
What has NOT been present at the ceremony either year was any sort of protest. No picketers, no fights, no demonstrations. People were gathered in a spirit of love and harmony. They were polite to each other. They helped the physically impaired and the elderly to make the journey to the tree. They watched out for each other's children as they played.
The message of "The One" is clear: God's love for us should translate to our love for others. This beautiful season of light, this season of love, this season of giving, should be shared with all. Today our world is more divided than ever. We hear about bad things daily on the nightly news:"If it bleeds, it leads." The headlines are enough to create despair in us. But in the midst of all this chaos, it is uplifting to know that good exists, that kindness exists, that harmony exists, that unity can exist.
"The One", the "Christ-mass Tree" is providing an example to us all this holiday season. If you are anywhere near Enid, OK, you should make the journey. The Wise Men of old made the journey: they followed the star to find a king. Follow the lights of "The One". Ponder the message of the evergreen tree: God's love for us all is the way forward to a better tomorrow.
However you will be spending your Christmas, I wish you many blessings. I wish you time with family and friends. I wish you freedom from fear. I wish you hope for a better New Year.
Merry Christmas!
*The Bryson Broadcasting International newsletter will return 15 January, 2023.
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