Wishing You All A Blessed and Merry Christmas

At a church service the other night, someone told the story of what they called “Silent Night.” The story goes, during World War I, Pope Benedict XV called for a Christmas Day Truce.  That suggestion was rejected by officials and so on the night of Christmas Eve 1914, British, Belgian and French Soldiers on the Western front put down their rifles and spent the night mingling with their German enemies and sang Christmas Carols together in their respective languages. 

It’s hard to imagine men who were trying to brutally kill each other just hours before, putting down their weapons and allowing there to be peace in the trenches as they sang to Honor of the Birth of Jesus Christ.

After hearing this story, I decided to do some research and found several articles, including a 2014 article from Time Magazine (Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Day Truce of 1914). This article did little to confirm or deny whether such a truce actually took place and noted many historians disagree on what actually happened that night. 

I like the idea of people from different backgrounds, religions and beliefs coming together in peace, especially when it’s the name of Jesus. 

While there are most certainly just causes worthy of fighting and dying for, it seems today more and more people let little things get them worked up.  Some are too easily offended and others are quick to get defensive about everything that doesn’t go their way, leading them to act aggressively and speak hateful towards one another.

I don’t know whether the Christmas Day Truce really happened, but I’m going to choose to believe it did.  It gives me hope all of us can find it in ourselves to pause, take a deep breath, relax, be slow to use words which tear someone down but quick to use those which bring joy.

I sincerely hope this Christmas each and every one of you feel the presence of the Prince of Peace and enjoy laughs and happiness with family and friends.

God Bless you and Merry Christmas!

Sheriff David Groves