95 years ago today British and German soldiers spontaneously laid down their arms against orders and sanity prevailed. Christmas carols were sung, small gifts were exchanged, and even a few games of soccer were played. In some areas the truce held all the way until New Year's Day. unfortunately, the high commands on both sides, fearing the consequences should those they led realize how little there was to be gained in murdering each other, took steps to prevent any such thing from occurring. Delightful little acts like scheduling mass artillery bombardments on every subsequent Christmas eve and threatening to have anyone refusing to fight shot. Over the next several years the war would become the most costly in history, and set the stage for another war that would usurp that title just a scant few decades later. Even so, on that day in 1914, something beautiful happened. On that day the war stopped. despite all the cries of the officers and the generals and the politicians and the kings the war stopped, for at least a little while. So as this Christmas comes to a close, please remember those courageous few who stood up from their trenches with empty hands and called out "Merry Christmas."
