Dean's Discourse - December 2023

On Christmas Eve 1914, during World War I, British and German soldiers engaged in something remarkable. Soldiers were separated by mere yards, as trench warfare served as a combat strategy of the day. But rather than vitriol, what was heard in the trenches were German soldiers singing Christmas Carols. Soldiers later interviewed said that German soldiers communicated “Tomorrow we no shoot and you no shoot,”which was how a ceasefire came about. On Christmas Day, British and German soldiers emerged to meet in what was considered “No Man’s Land,” the area between the trenches, to take pictures, fraternize, and exchange gifts. It is even said that German soldiers provided a soccer ball, and an impromptu game was played. Although such a truce never happened again, it is amazing to think that in a moment of shared humanity, people put away their weapons of war and celebrated peace.

Nearly 100 years later, we see a world that continues to engage in war. Conflicts rage. Some like Ukraine and Russia or Israel and Hamas dominate the headlines. Others like the conflicts in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Haiti are rarely mentioned. Yet as casualties mount and people grow more polarized, I cannot help but long for a repeat of the Christmas truce of 1914. It started with singing. I have heard it told that the German soldiers were singing Silent Night and were joined by British soldiers in the singing. That simple act of singing a familiar song helped to break down barriers and enable people to relate to one another was all it took. What would it take for us today to capture that same spirit? What would it take for us to see those whom we have othered as people with the same hopes and dreams that we have? Would that help us extend goodwill to one another?

The prophets Isaiah and Micah wrote of a vision where people would beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. In other words, there would be no need for implements of war and as such those implements would be turned into tools of peace. Moreover, nations would not take up arms against other nations, but rather every individual would sit under their own grapevine or fig tree with no one to disturb them. We have not realized these visions; rather we seem far from them. But if we, in our small corners and spaces, would work to welcome the stranger, to receive those we have been told to hate, and offer grace and compassion over anger and antipathy, perhaps we would be one step closer.

May your holiday season be filled with these hopeful visions of a world where peace is planted and allowed to grow, where joy is experienced through song and play, and where love abounds.

Blessings,

Dean Debora Jackson