OPERATION
HOUR 1
"If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"
James 2:16
OUT AT MIDNIGHT,
ON THE BLVD.
Nearly two decades ago, a Jr. High leader brought his small group to downtown Pasadena to watch the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Earlier in the day, these young boys were confronted with a startling sight. Men and women holding signs marched down the street, shouting at the crowd over megaphones. Their signs read “You’re Going to Hell! Repent!”, “Jesus Kills! Jesus Saves!”, and “God Hates Sinners!”, among other things
Taking his group with him and with no outward sign of his religion, the Jr. High leader had approached these men and women and asked “What can I do? How can I fix this?” In answer, they told him to get out of their way and marched on. The leader and his small group realized something frightening: These people, with their signs and megaphones, were representing Jesus Christ and Christianity before thousands.
The experience hadn't left their thoughts. With everyone on the streets now curled up in their chairs and under their blankets, the boys wondered how they could represent true Christianity to those around them.
This group, along with thousands of others spectators, arrived the day before hand, so they could claim prime seating on the street. That night, the small group of Jr. High boys celebrated the New Year with all those who’d filled the sidewalks of Colorado Blvd. Then everyone huddled in the cold outside, holding their spots, until morning. The wait would be worth it. They would have the best seats for the parade. But something else was on their minds.
In those early morning hours,
Operation Hour1 was born.
Those men and women had marched with signs and megaphones, offering no answers to anyone seeking salvation. But threats of hellfire and angry sermons were not what the gathered masses wanted and they were most definitely not what they needed. Just after midnight, the chilled air seeping into tired bones, signs weren't needed, warmth was.
The following year, a larger group of Jr. Highers returned to Colorado Blvd. and at just after midnight on New Year’s Day they handed out 200 cups of steaming hot coco. On each cup, the students wrote messages of encouragement and love. Donations were not accepted. These young people walked up and down the streets, offering warmth to the cold in testiment to James 2:16, “If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” They gave their first hours of the new year to the Lord, representing Him and practicing His command.
Sixteen years later, you can find Jr. Highers, bundled up in beanies, jackets, and scarfs, handing out free cocoa after midnight on Colorado Blvd. H1 has evolved and grown under God’s blessing and guidance, with new groups of Jr. Highers joining each year and veterans coming back as high school leaders. Always planned in accordance to God’s will and desires, activities have been added, one by one, over the years, from communion at midnight to exciting apologetic debates between the students and leader to simple teamwork exercises and cheer tunnels.
Without fail, each year, God has presented the student of H1 with exerpiences and opportunites they will never forget.
