World War I began in the in the summer of 1914 – a war that would be one of the largest and deadliest in history. Rival factions across Europe faced off in a battle of empires and conflicting alliances, trench warfare, artillery fire, and gas attacks.1 That same summer, the pope fell ill and died and a new pope was elected– Pope Benedict XV.2 Benedict reached out to the warring sides, asking them to end this fight. But, if they could not find a way to make peace, he asked, “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang.”3 The new pope begged these many governments – if nothing else, let us practice peace to honor Christ’s birth. The governments declined his request.4
But that Christmas Eve, something happened from the chilled ground – from amongst the frost and the cold, the constant threat of incoming fire, and the sheer exhaustion of war. Soldiers on the western front started to cautiously peer over the trenches, to wish each other “Happy Christmas,” to talk with one another.5
Private Albert Moren of the Second Queens regiment described a snowy landscape, illumined by the moon’s glow. “Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade” said how it all started:
“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.”6
We hear story after story of soldiers from both sides leaving their trenches, sharing food, giving gifts, getting to know one another, even kicking around a makeshift soccer ball. They also took this time of truce to give each other leave to bury their dead. In some places, both sides shared burial services for their lost comrades in arms. For some, this Christmas Truce lasted only for Christmas Eve. In other places, it continued through New Year.8
In all, about 100,000 British, Belgian, French, and German troops took part in this improvised ceasefire. 100,000 troops was about 2/3 of all those who were deployed!8 We find the story repeated in countless letters home. Said Bruce Bairnsfather, “I wouldn’t have missed that unique and weird Christmas day for anything.” Said Captain Sir Edward Hulse, “It was absolutely astounding, and if I had seen it on a…film I should have sworn that it was faked!”9
That Christmas Truce didn’t last and the war continued for almost four years after that. But what we find in that moment is two opposing sides, sometimes no more than 100 feet apart.10 On any given day, they overheard their enemy chatting, laughing, pining for their sweethearts. Their enemy wasn’t anonymous to them and by the time they got to their first Christmas at war together, all these soldiers knew was that they wanted the hope and joy and peace of Christmas. Though they were strangers to one another, they were united in Christ and they were drawn together in their desire for a faithful way forward. It wasn’t mutiny; it wasn’t desertion. It was shared silent night, where they stopped to honor the Christ child as they were able.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XV
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
[6] https://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
[8] https://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce; https://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/
[10] https://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/