A True Christmas Reflection: Peace on Earth
Of all the blog posts I read on Christmas, this one from Lew Rockwell is the one that truly moved me:
On this day in 1914, in the first year of the great civilizational disaster called WWI, German and British soldiers on the Western front stopped shooting. Not only that, they celebrated together, as brothers, the birth of the Prince of Peace. Their panicked leaders eventually forced them back to killing, but some day, the soldiers may not listen to the generals and the presidents, but to a Child born this day in Bethlehem. Then the angels’ song of “peace on earth” can begin to come true.
You can read more about the Christmas Truce here.
This is what I write for, and this is what I hope and pray for.
Christianity has everything to do with politics. When a group of men began proclaiming that a crucified, failed messiah was now Lord and Savior of the World, it was a direct challenge to principalities and powers at the time, especially Caesar. A true prince of peace, in contrast to the so-called Pax Romana that was drenched in the blood of common men and women.
So too is the gospel a direct challenge to the world’s rulers, including the evil men who perpetuated World War 1, sending men off to die for no purpose but to solidify their own power, thereby kicking off one of the bloodiest centuries this world has ever known. So much for the age of “enlightenment.”
I only hope that one day, we will stop listening to the politicians, as the soldiers did on the night of the Christmas Truce.
We will stop believing them when they insist we must kill this or that person.
We will stop believing them when they promise national glory.
We will stop believing them, and realize we have more in common with other people and nations than we were led to believe, like the soldiers discovered that time between the trenches.
Believing them only leads to death, for ourselves or others. History has shown no other outcome.
There is only one who deserves our trust, belief, and allegiance.
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Hi. I was very moved to read the piece about the Christmas Truce in WW1.
I have owned the huge Lochnagar Crater on the Somme battlefield for almost 30 years and it is a Garden of Remembrance dedicated to the fallen of all nations and free to all 365 days a year. (Please see www.friendsoflochnagar.co.uk). It attracts over 250,000 visitors a year, 50,000 of them youngsters on school trips. Struggling to establish and maintain a Christian presence there amidst a growing idea that simulated violence is a form of entertainment and the lessons of WW1 are consigned to ‘history’ I would welcome any thoughts and advice. Over 7,000 young men died there on July 1st 1916 in a matter of minutes and I have erected a large wooden cross at the site - connecting the two in people’s minds isn’t easy. Any thoughts gratefully received.
Wow. That’s quite an opportunity. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
We need more things like this circulating our schools. Not to be enforced, so that generations are simply aware.
Thank you for this post.
You’re very welcome. It’s a life long task to push back propaganda and indoctrination.
christmas is a bogus holiday..I haven’t received anything for the longest. I’m beginning to hate it
Hi,Thanks for sharing this nice post with have a good info…
I think took everything away from the Christians who want to celebrate what Christmas is all about. We are a liberal, free thinking country and unfortunately, the majority of people who feel as you are silent. This country will never be the same. Ever.
People say happy holidays because you have people of mixed religions in the us. Muslims, jews, sadists. You never know what religion someone is until you ask them and avoiding that question is just saying happy holidays instead of merry christmas.
Christmas is a time of reflection for Christians, and a very holy time of month. I’m just wondering how Christians feel about their holy day being turned into a money making scheme by businesses and a mere Western Holiday and presents by the likes of Athiests and Non-Christians..?
That kind of says something about the desires of your heart. What type of things you like, it a reflection of what is really going on on the inside. Even the private things…such as things you like that you would never tell anyone about.
Humanity full of themselves, thinking they are god and can change the rules find themselves in the mess they are in because they are trying to eliminate any type of God from their land.
It’s just you’re hearing more about it because of the media. But death and violence have gone down since the middle ages. Women now have the right to vote. African Americans are no longer slaves. Riots aren’t happening daily. What is happening that is so terrible that another time and place.
You can only find peace by surrounding your self with people that are like minded to yourself giving yourself and them “peace” of mind. I know many wonderful people but if they had to spend a quantity of time together they would appear wicked….in each others eyes. Embrace the love you find.
You are often in both Japan and California, and your brother lived in Tennessee a few years. The coloring you and Miyuki have in the dream are sort of cliches for Caucasians, so you may have a desire to identify even more strongly with them than you already have.
Children learn by imitation and you learned more than the detail of your family’s religious fundamentalism. From other life experiences you have (wisely) rejected the detail of the family beliefs but you display all the characteristics of the fundamentalist: intolerance and the arrogant certainty that the truth is known to you and you alone.