Christmas, a Time for Forgiveness, a Time for Peace
Dec 19, 2024
The Truce of 1914 is a story so remarkable that it has become embedded in the narrative of World War I. World War I was a horrific affair for everyone involved, but especially the soldiers on the front line. They camped in muddy trenches, shooting at their enemies when told to, and waiting in agony for orders and any news from home when they weren’t shooting. The front line was a bleak place.
The Western Front was no exception. British and German soldiers at the Western Front fought each other desperately. No soldier was guaranteed to live to see tomorrow. Each second was precious and every enemy soldier that they shot increased their own chances of survival. That’s what made the events of Christmas Eve 1914, so spectacular.
As Christmas Day approached, the weight of the war pressed heavier. Christmas was supposed to bring joy. It marked the birth of a savior that was supposed to bring peace to the world. The front line of a world war was just about the furthest you could get from the Christmas spirit.
But when the British heard German Christmas carols ring out across No Man’s Land, their heads lifted with a glimpse of hope.
The two troops began to send messages back and forth. And then, emboldened by the Christmas spirit, they declared a momentary truce. There would be a cease-fire on Christmas.
Not only that, these soldiers who had just been desperately trying to take each other’s lives put aside their conflict and Celebrated Christmas together. They exchanged gifts and played soccer in the desolate wasteland between the trenches they dug to wage war.
That Christmas Day, in 1914, those soldiers opened their hearts to forgiveness to create a moment of peace in the midst of a war.
Peace
Peace is the only authentic emotion that doesn’t have a counterfeit. All other emotions have an unhealthy counterpart that imitates them. Lust imitates love, shame imitates guilt, comfort imitates freedom, but peace cannot be mimicked.
Peace is what we feel when we understand our worth and live in a way that is true to our values and beliefs. We achieve that by living authentically and discarding anything counterfeit.
During the Christmas season, many of us may find ourselves searching for ways to increase peace in our lives. Some of us find this by making time for our families. Others find peace through serving the less fortunate. Or you may find peace by putting away distractions and enjoying the stillness.
There are many avenues that lead to peace, but there is something that they all have in common: setting aside our weapons of war and opening our hearts to forgive.
Peace cannot exist without Forgiveness
Peace doesn’t come from the external world. It’s not a lack of stressors or a lack of pain, it is an internal acceptance and understanding. Peace comes from resolving the conflicts within your own heart. We feel peace when we accept the truth about our worth and our values and live in harmony with it.
Grudges, resentment, vendettas, hatred, rage, and judgment are destructive to peace. To feel peace, we have to overcome the emotional conflicts in our hearts and set aside our weapons. And to do that we must forgive.
This Christmas season, create peace from within by letting go of any grudges, resentment, and judgments that you have been holding on to. Lay down your weapons of war, walk across the battlefield, and forgive, so this Christmas can be a celebration of peace.
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