Christmas Light, Christmas Peace

by Mark Smith

On Christmas Eve more than a hundred years ago in a Belgium battlefield, the world stood at war on the Western Front. On one side of this bloody conflict huddled the British soldiers; on the other side, the Germans. As the sun began to dip and the fierce fighting of the day began to die down, the German soldiers laid down their weapons and began to decorate their trenches with Tannenbäume and Christmas wreaths. They lit candles and started to pray. As night approached, messages from the Germans were sent to the British troops that read: “If you don’t shoot, we won’t shoot.”

Not long afterwards, the Germans began to sing Christmas carols. One of them caught the attention of the British troops, and all was quiet as they listened to the Germans sing. Although the hymn was in German, the British knew it well: Silent Night, Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

When the Germans finished singing the carol, the British troops began to sing it in English. In the midst of one of the bloodiest battles in human history, there was a moment of peace, a short truce amongst enemies as they reflected upon the holiness of this night. For all too brief a moment, soldiers on both sides set aside their hatred and enmity, and recognized that they had something in common, something far greater than their nation and homeland: they shared a common faith in Jesus Christ.

Once the singing stopped, the soldiers began to shout out Christmas greetings to one another. And soon after, something remarkable happened: soldiers from both sides crawled out of their trenches and walked to the middle of the battlefield. There the two sides met and greeted one another, wishing each other a Merry Christmas. And then they made it so by exchanging gifts with each other: food, drink, tobacco, and military souvenirs. They even playing soccer on the battlefield. The “No Man’s Land” between the two armies was filled with men that night celebrating their Saviour’s birth, worshipping as one the incarnate Son of God.

More than a century ago, the Light of Christ shone into the darkness of a sinful war and brought peace, the kind of peace that only God can bring to our sinful world. On that holy night, earthly enemies understood that they were brothers in Christ. For one silent and holy night, these soldiers were able to sleep in heavenly peace.

The Christmas truce of 1914 lasted through Christmas Day, and in some areas lasted through the twelve days of Christmas. Unfortunately, it was not to last. Once word of the unofficial truce reached headquarters on both sides, commanders were irate that something like this had occurred—something that could derail the war effort. They disciplined those they felt were responsible, and issued strict orders forbidding future communication with the other side. Even newspapers were ordered not to publish anything about this event. Nearly a week later, however, The New York Times dismissed the order and published an article about it on the front page. British and German publishers followed suit, publishing pictures that were taken at the event and calling it a Christmas miracle. Sadly, the powers that be dismissed the light and peace of the event, and ordered the darkness of war to continue—a war that would rage on for four more bloody years leading to the loss of millions of lives.

Yet for one night in Belgium, the Light of Christ shone into the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. The Light of Christ shone into the hearts and minds of the soldiers on the battlefield and filled them with the peace of God, a peace which surpasses all human understanding. That peace brought a halt to battle so that both sides could give glory to God in the highest and praise Him for the gift of His Son. And what a gift! The Son of God took on flesh and became one of us and tabernacled among us. Jesus Christ came into our darkness to shine the Light of God into the world, the Light which now leads us down the path of salvation—a salvation which He Himself won for us on the cross, a victory which brought us peace with God.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Son of God came into the world He created, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to dwell amongst His own chosen people, yet they did not receive Him. St. John tells us that that though Jesus is the Light of God, the people loved the darkness more than the Light because their works were evil. We see this love for darkness displayed in the aftermath of the Christmas truce of 1914. The Light of Christ brought peace that Christmas Eve, but the peace did not last because the powers that be loved the darkness of sin more. Their sinful nature craved and loved worldly power and material wealth more than peace and harmony, more than their neighbour, more than God. Instead of embracing the peace of God, they turned their backs on it and led others to do the same, resulting in the death of millions.

But we must not simply condemn these acts without recognizing that we too are tempted to love the darkness of sin rather than the Light of Christ. We too are lured by our sinful nature to embrace the material treasures and worldly pleasures offered by sin rather than the grace and peace that Christ Jesus offers. We too face spiritual attacks on our faith and doubt from the instruments of darkness, which blind us to the Truth of God—leading us not to take faith and church too seriously—and urge us to ignore our neighbours in need. We too are tempted to turn our backs on the path which God has set before us.

These temptations are all too common in this dark and sinful world. And all too often we fall prey to these temptations, embracing the darkness rather than the Light. Yet this is why Jesus has come into the world. He says: “I have come into the world as Light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). Christ Jesus came into the world to deliver us from the darkness of our sin and to lead us into the Light of His salvation. He came to forgive, and to grant us peace with God.

And that is exactly what He has done for all who believe in Him. Jesus has shone His Light on us. The Light of His Holy Word shines into the darkness of our hearts and minds, creating faith to believe in Him—to trust that by His death and resurrection our sins are forgiven and that we now have peace with God. And His Light gives us hope, hope that clings to His promise that He is always with us, that He will guide and direct our lives, and that He will grant to us everlasting life.

And now that He has given us this Light and this peace, He warns us not to allow the darkness of this world and our own sinful flesh to lead us away. To protect us from the darkness, Jesus gives us His Holy Word to be a lamp to our feet and light to our path. Whenever we are tempted by the darkness, God calls us to turn to the Light of His Word. The Holy Spirit uses that Light to guide our path to Christ Jesus—to repentance and the forgiveness of sins, and to the strengthening of our faith in the salvation already won for us.

It was this Light which led soldiers more than a century ago to join together in worship of the Son of God made flesh. The same Light calls us now to do the same. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts and minds both now and always with the Light of Christ and with the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding.

Rev. Mark Smith is Lutheran Church– Canada’s Executive for National and International Missions.