Our little city is famous… yep… recorded right there on the state government page of Ohio city nicknames is: Willard: City Of Blossoms. I guess a city nickname is supposed to represent a distinctive of the city. If you show up at just the right time at our church — usually some time around the end of April — you will see that the trees between our parking lot and building have exploded with white blossoms. They are beautiful! And they stink… I’m not sure why that is… but did I mention they are beautiful? Our church is doing its part to proclaim Willard as the City Of Blossoms.
Some other Ohio city nicknames? Alliance is The Carnation City. Barberton is Magic City (I’ve been to Barberton and didn’t get that one so I had to google it, apparently it grew rapidly due to all of the industry in Akron in the early 1900’s). Bucyrus is the Bratwurst Capital Of The World — Have you been to the Bratwurst Festival? Dayton is The Gem City — not to be outdone, Dublin is The Emerald City — take that Dayton. Fremont is The Cutlery Capital Of The World — I’m picturing Japanese steak knives twirling. Kent is The Tree City. Mansfield is The Fun Center Of Ohio — ok, I know it’s kinda in the center of the state, but fun? Hmm. And finally we have Valley City — The Frog Jump Capital Of Ohio — I wonder, is it actually jumping frogs or the grade school game of leap frog…
In the Christmas story we have Bethlehem — City Of David. King David was born around the year 1040 BC in Bethlehem and was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse. Bethlehem was a small city that wasn’t known for anything beyond sheep until David took the throne of Israel around 1010 BC and then suddenly it was famous — the hometown of the king! I mean, who would have ever heard of Milan, Ohio if Thomas Edison hadn’t been born there, except for a bunch of melons, right?
It was the same for Bethlehem. Not a lot happened in Bethlehem… but Israel’s most famous king was born there. I wonder, did they have one of those road-side
plaques shaped like the boundary of Israel that said, “Bethlehem, Birth Place Of King David”… yeah.. I kind of doubt it too. But King David… that was a big deal! That is, it was until the King of Heaven and Earth was born there.
A simple little city in rural Israel that truth be told was much closer to a country village, even if it is called a “city,” and yet it was the birthplace of Israel’s mightiest king, and then to top it off, the Savior of the World! David kind of takes a back seat to the The Lion Of Judah, doesn’t he?
O Bethlehem. If only you had known that first Christmas night Who had been born in your midst! Of all the places on planet earth, you had been chosen as the entry point of God Incarnate. In a simple stable at a local inn, The Almighty’s first cry rang out proclaiming that Emmanuel had come — and the world would never be the same again. Favored Bethlehem… Perhaps someday in Heaven there will be a museum that will hold that little stable from Bethlehem like Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin can be seen in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Yes, folks, it all began in Bethlehem. A story has to begin somewhere and God chose Bethlehem to begin the redemption story. Max Lucado wrote in his book, Because Of Bethlehem: “When Christ was born so was our hope.” Jesus’ disciple Matthew wrote: “And His name will be the hope of all the world.” Matthew 21:21 Hmmm… I have a thought… maybe Bethlehem should change its nickname to Bethlehem: City Of Hope.
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