Storage.googleapis.com



Antioch Advent Week 2: PeaceWar and PeaceIsaiah 9:6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of?Peace.History tells the tale of what can only be called a miraculous Christmas peace during WW1 on December 24th of 1914. “Most accounts suggest the truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas Eve, “a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere”, as Pvt. Albert Moren of the Second Queens Regiment? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" recalled, in a document later rounded up by the New York?Times. Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" described it in even greater detail:“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing – two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”The next morning, in some places, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, calling out “Merry Christmas” in English. Allied soldiers came out warily to greet them. In others, Germans held up signs reading “You no shoot, we no shoot.” Over the course of the day, troops exchanged gifts of cigarettes, food, buttons and hats. The Christmas truce also allowed both sides to finally bury their dead comrades, whose bodies had lain on “no man’s land,” the ground between opposing trenches.”Some believe that it was in that moment that many soldiers came to the realization that if it hadn’t been for their superior officers commands most of the young men on the battle field would have turned in their weapons after that day. “Indeed, one British soldier, Murdoch M. Wood, speaking in 1930,? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" said: “I then came to the conclusion that I have held very firmly ever since, that if we had been left to ourselves there would never have been another shot fired.” Adolf Hitler, then a Corporal of the 16th Bavarians, saw it differently: “Such a thing should not happen in wartime,” he is? HYPERLINK "" \l "v=onepage&q=%22such%20a%20thing%20should%20not%20happen%20in%20wartime%22%20hitler%201914&f=false" \t "_blank" said to have remarked. “Have you no German sense of honor?” There is something in the story of Christmas that unites us. It is the story of a child who moved in the lives of lowly shepherds and royal advisors, showing us that his love extends from the very poor to the very rich and important by the world’s standards. It is the story of a great humbling arising from a greater love than mankind can comprehend and when we take a moment to lay down our weapons, to lay down our politics, to lay down our divisions… and simply worship, Christ will bring us peace.As we look around our world today, we see factions, but God sees children. We see enemies, but God sees neighbors. We see hurt but God call us to open ourselves up to His healing. We thrill in debate but God thrills in peace. One cannot help but recall the words of the “Oh Holy Night” which preach “Truly He taught us to love one another. His law is love and His gospel is peace”. His law IS love and His gospel WILL bring peace if we will get out of our own way and get on our knees. Prayer: Jesus convict me if there is animosity in my heart. May I not carry the burden of hate when you have called me to peace. You came to unite us under your banner of love; may we carry nothing with more importance than the message of your forgiveness and salvation. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download