A few weeks ago, I heard a discussion of what I would consider one of the most peculiar events in the 20th Century. The event historically is known as the Christmas Truce of 1914. Many accounts are greatly romanticized, but certain facts come through in all the stories. World War I had started a few months prior. The front lines between the Germans and English were close enough that they could hear each other. On Christmas Eve, German and British soldiers began singing Christmas carols to each other across no-man’s-land. On Christmas Day, some German soldiers stood up from the trenches, walked into no-man’s-land, and wished the opposing side ‘Merry Christmas’. This led to short-lived cease fires throughout the Western Front on Christmas Day with various levels of fraternization between both sides.
From the historical perspective, the impact of the Christmas Truce was non-existent. World War I still raged until 1918, and it set the stage for the atrocities that followed in World War II. However, the fact that the story is still being discussed 90 years after the event provides an important insight into the human psyche. We HOPE! Even faced with chaos, war and death, much like those first soldiers who stepped into no-man’s-land, we hope. It is a hope that can help us to step out past the expectations of the world.
Beyond Reason.
A Living Argument!