In July 1914, World War I broke out in Europe, pitting the Allies (France, Britain, Russia to name a few) against the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire). The conflict quickly extended beyond the borders of Europe and became a global conflict. It turned the European mainland into a gnarled landscape of trenches and dead bodies. It is told that along the western front in France, shortly after midnight on December 25, 1914, music could be heard across the front, coming from the German trenches. Soon after this, Christmas carols could be heard being sung in German. Some time during this Christmas night, soldiers from both sides began to come out of their trenches and walk toward their enemies, meeting in the no-man’s-land that defined the front lines of battle. They called it the Christmas Truce. It was not negotiated by politicians and was not ordered by generals. Rather, it occurred rather serendipitously. Soldiers from opposite sides laid down their guns, began to shake hands, then to hand out cigarettes and food to their enemies. Some of them sang along with the Christmas carols. Others began a friendly game of soccer. For one night, there was peace and goodwill towards all men.
Typically I write this article with a business slant to it. Not so today. I want to talk about a bigger issue that raises its head too often in our world today. You might think that the recent murders of first-grade students and their teachers impacted my sentiment today. You would be right, it has affected me as it has anyone who has heard about these killings. However, I am talking beyond these unimaginable and senseless killings by a madman. I am talking about the anger that seethes just below the surface with far too many of us. We might not kill small children, but we would react angrily to anyone who would be seen as a rival, whether real or imagined. I am talking about the core of our being that desires to fight and ask questions later. It comes out in bitter words towards a family member, aggressive driving on crowded roadways, a demeaning gesture across the field of a sporting event, nasty comments left on social media, a get-even-at-all-costs attitude that has become the definition of a society in decline. It produces rage and victims. There is something terribly askew at work here. If we are honest with ourselves, it is not too hard to imagine that someone around us could become so enraged that they would pull out a weapon and begin a killing spree. We see the anger in a hundred different places, and sometimes on the inside of us. That is why I like the Christmas story. Beyond the gift giving, lights, trees, and a whole host of traditions, the story that set all of these other things in motion speaks to this very issue.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.1
Peace on earth and goodwill is not just an absence of conflict between warring nations as it was on Christmas Day 1914. It starts with peace on the inside of us that puts out the raging fire of anger and a desire to get even. It then works its way to the outside. The truth of the matter is the real solution is not another set of laws or a series of anger management group meetings. The real answer is to find peace for our souls.
…Take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…2
This Christmas, my hope is that we can finally get to the core of the issue and find peace for the conflict on the inside of us. That may sound like a simple solution to a very complex problem. Yes the problem is complex, but I believe it is truly the place to start. Then maybe we can celebrate first graders becoming second graders. Maybe people acting out of desperation and so much hurt can come out of their barricades and approach the other side, sing a Christmas carol, play a game of soccer, share a meal and declare true peace and goodwill toward men.
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This Day in History: Dec 25, 1914: The Christmas Truce, History.com
1. Luke 2:14, Holy Bible, KJV
2. James 1:19, Holy Bible, NIV
Photo by Mustafa Ahmir Mahmond