Christmas in the trenches

Spiritual resource to share: acts of peace

My grandparents

We have a family story that strikes me deeply. And rightly so. My mom’s father, Walter (or Butchie as he was known to us), was with the Scottish troops on December 24, 1914, and was a part of that most wonderful Christmas Eve truce. My mom remembers him talking about it and sharing the news of playing football with others.  Butchie survived this war, married and had five children.  He also introduced three generations to Christian Science after having been healed through Christian Science of severe head injuries.  (But that's another story for another time!)

While browsing the internet about the famous truce, I found a letter that a soldier wrote during that time. It's become famous as you will read. (I've copied it as it appeared on interfaithforums.com.)


It is an amazing story, remarkable situation. It is a tribute to all soldiers everywhere and a reminder that "on each end of the rifle, we're the same."

The Christmas Truce Letter

On November 7, 2006, singer Chris de Burgh paid £14,400 at Bonhams auction house for an original 10 page letter from an unknown British soldier that records events and incidents with the Germans on that night (during World War I) describing "the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent".

The letter begins:

This will be the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don't think theres been a shot fired on either side up to now. Last night turned a very clear frost moonlight night, so soon after dusk we had some decent fires going and had a few carols and songs.

The Germans commenced by placing lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us — wishing us a Happy Christmas etc. They also gave us a few songs etc. so we had quite a social party. Several of them can speak English very well so we had a few conversations. Some of our chaps went to over to their lines. I think theyve all come back bar one from 'E' Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir.

In spite of our fires etc. it was terribly cold and a job to sleep between look out duties, which are two hours in every six.

First thing this morning it was very foggy. So we stood to arms a little longer than usual. A few of us that were lucky could go to Holy Communion early this morning. It was celebrated in a ruined farm about 500 yds behind us. I unfortunately couldn't go. There must be something in the spirit of Christmas as to day we are all on top of our trenches running about. Whereas other days we have to keep our heads well down.

We had breakfast about 8.0 which went down alright especially some cocoa we made. We also had some of the post this morning. I had a parcel from B. G's Lace
Dept containing a sweater, smokes, under clothes etc. We also had a card from the Queen, which I am sending back to you to look after please. After breakfast we had a game of football at the back of our trenches!

We've had a few Germans over to see us this morning. They also sent a party over to bury a sniper we shot in the week. He was about a 100 yds from our trench. A few of our fellows went out and helped to bury him.About 10.30 we had a short church parade the morning service etc. held in the trench.

How we did sing. 'O come all ye faithful. And While shepherds watched their flocks by night' were the hymns we had. At present we are cooking our Christmas Dinner! so will finish this letter later.Dinner is over! and well we enjoyed it. Our dinner party started off with fried bacon and dip-bread: followed by hot Xmas Pudding. I had a mascot in my piece.

Next item on the menu was muscatels and almonds, oranges, bananas, chocolate etc followed by cocoa and smokes. You can guess we thought of the dinners at home. Just before dinner I had the pleasure of shaking hands with several Germans: a party of them came 1/2 way over to us so several of us went out to them. I exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I've also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc. and had a decent chat. They say they won't fire tomorrow if we don't so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday — perhaps.

After exchanging autographs and them wishing us a Happy New Year we departed and came back and had our dinner.We can hardly believe that we've been firing at them for the last week or two — it all seems so strange. At present its freezing hard and everything is covered with ice…

The letter ends:

There are plenty of huge shell holes in front of our trenches, also pieces of shrapnel to be found. I never expected to shake hands with Germans between the firing lines on Christmas Day and I don't suppose you thought of us doing so. So after a fashion we've enjoyed? our Christmas. Hoping you spend a happy time also George Boy as well. How we thought of England during the day. Kind regards to all the neighbours.

With much love from Boy.

For more information and background, see and read more about a movie, Joyeux Noël, made about this event.

This song has helped bring this event to the forefront:



Note: The photo is a family photo and is not for circulation. (c)

prayer at the airport

Spiritual resource to share: love and connection


It's been an airport kind of week. We saw our very fun and much loved Korean "son" off on his flight back home to South Korea. I dropped another son off on his way to see his best friend and then went on to pick up my other son who was coming back from Germany.

I have to say that one of my favorite places to be and to pray is right in the middle of the bustle of the international arrivals part of the airport. It is such a hopeful place.

For all of the variety of races, languages, dress and greetings - there is the undercurrent of energy that fuels the reason for all of this activity. And it is happiness. "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

I get to the arrivals section a little early. I like to do this when possible. I watch people as they wait for others, then see their faces light up when they find who they are looking for.

We (those who are waiting) are supposed to stay in a designated area behind a rope, so that when they (the passengers) arrive, they have an unblocked walkway. This all makes sense. Except when some people have been waiting so long for the people that they love so much, that no barrier is going to effectively hold them back one second longer from hugging the ones they have been waiting for as soon as their faces clear the doors of the entry.

So, I watch and wait and feel a little of what MBEddy talks about in Science and Health: "Hence the eternal wonder, — that infinite space is peopled with God's ideas, reflecting Him in countless spiritual forms."

More faces, some tired, happy, searching the sea of faces. I think: we are all so connected. We are all children of God, who is Truth and Love. One Truth. One Love. One family. I feel such hope. So, I ask myself: Can I reflect in some degree the infinite depths of God's love to embrace all of humanity? Can I echo Jacob's humbled response to his brother "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God." I am so engaged in this life lesson of love and connection. I know I'll be spending my life finding ways to answer yes over and over again.

My questions are interrupted as I see a tall young man who is looking over the crowd gathered behind the rope at the arrivals gate. It is my son. He seems taller, more confident. I wave, we hug and so begins the long ride home and hearing of adventures, new perspectives and the plans for bringing this all back home.











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Comfort on every side

Spiritual resource to share: comfort


In this Valentine's Day, saturated with poems of love, I thought I would write about comfort.

Anyway, an old favorite German movie "Wings of Desire" by Wim Wenders depicts angels as men in trenchcoats giving comfort and companionship to the mortals they are assigned to. The moodiness and tender beauty of this movie left me with the tangible feeling of angels among us.

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy defines angels as "God's thoughts passing to man." We can feel, right now, that we have angels - Love's messages - surrounding us as we go about our day. And these angels are never more close than when we are grieving.

I had an amazing weekend with an amazing friend. She had experienced three major losses in her life recently and was working through this. It was heartening to hear her speak of these "angels" that came to her in different ways: as a friend to spend time with, memories of wonderful times and the deep lessons learned from those who had gone on, poems, getting out in the fresh air, fun movies, etc.

Other angels included recognizing the wisdom of forgiveness and the strength of the spiritual growth she garnered from those she loves. In each moment, her needs were being met. When she needed quiet, it was there, or distraction, or release from sadness, there was complete love and complete comfort.

I was most touched by how gentle all of this was. This was in the middle of a busy weekend that included training for the Birkebeiner, attending a conference about the proposed Department of Peace, lunch at Sara's Table with its owner, a remarkeable former state senator and other earnest and articulate women, attending church and having a birthday celebration.

Life is always full, and the people we love (and the people we leave) are indelibly woven into the fabric of our lives, leaving their unique reflection of divine Love's goodness, grace and spontaneity.

We are left with angels of comfort, moving us from one stage of experience to the next, making sure that we see higher, deeper and wider views of the Life and Love that is given to us from God.


So, for this Valentine's Day, I wish you all love and the rich knowledge that we are never alone, but are comforted on every side as we live and grow.







To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

New Year's resolution: to love

Spiritual resource to share: spiritual intention

I woke up this New Year's day to about three inches of fresh fallen snow. A friend once commented, "I love new snow. It makes me feel that we have all been redeemed."

What a great way to start the new year!

Looking ahead, I'm going to promise myself one resolution. My one resolution from last year:

I am practicing living more simply and more closely to my prayer. My new backbone -- the only thing on my "list" for this new year is to praise God. That's all.

I liked this "list." It was short and to the point and I did it. So this year, on my list, I have one thing and that is to love.

Mary Baker Eddy's take on Love is penetrating and powerful, and individually empowering. In her book Miscellaneous Writings on page 250, she writes an article entitled "Love"

What a word! I am in awe of it! Over what worlds on worlds it hath range and is sovereign! the underived, the incomparable, the infinite All of good, the alone God, is Love.

Later in the article, she gets into the demands on love:

Love is not something put upon a shelf, to be taken down on rare occassions with sugar-tongs and laid on a rose-leaf. I make strong demands on love, call for active witnesses to prove it, and noble sacrifices and grand achievements as its results. Unless these appear, I cast aside the word as a sham and counterfiet, having no ring of the true metal.

Love cannot be a mere abstraction, or goodness without activity and power.

The New Testament speaks of God as Love, a Love that casts out fear. In agreement with this, Eddy makes the point that Love demands expression and that that expression brings us into alignment with harmony. So powerful is this Love that an understanding of it heals.

She writes about the practice of Christian Science:

If the (Christian) Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine.

I remember reading that Eddy was asked how she healed, and she responded, she just loves. Far from being a simple answer, it is that Love that I want to explore more deeply. And knowing that the Bible mentions love 280 times ( King James version) and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Eddy mentions it 121 times, I think that's a good start for the year.

If you had one resolution to make for the year, what would it be?









To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

too blessed to be stressed

Spiritual resource to share: blessings
















A word game: Did you ever notice how familiar the word 'bless' is to the word 'bliss'? Bless has many meanings: to endow, to preserve, to protect, to approve, to praise and to glorify and to invoke divine care. When we bless others or feel blessed, we feel the protection, our endowment of good, the approval of God and stand on the understanding that God is all powerful and all good. This is blissful!

The preface to Science and Health starts out "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings." Leaning, yielding, accepting, acknowledging God's sustaining control - these ring out peace and wring out stress.

We have a new baby in the family - a new niece - plump and healthy, she is just radiantly beautiful (and this after only seeing one picture of her!) For all the flurry of activity and details that happen this time of the year, her arrival has helped to put all things into perspective. Love is what it is all about. Love is what brings forth the coming of Christ. Love is what we are given, "filling up and spilling over" an endless waterfall.

And now for a cute kid story: A mother was badly stressed out. Details, responsibilities and the fear of lack must have all ganged up on her that day. She was quietly sobbing to herself "Oh, I am such a flop as a mother!" Her little girl heard her and came up to her and said "Mommy, don't be so sad. In the Bible it says, 'Fear not, little flop, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'"

No matter who we feel we are, what struggles we have, God is right there pouring forth more than we can even fathom. Mary Baker Eddy helps to bring this point home:

God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? God is intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of anything He does not already comprehend? Do we expect to change perfection? Shall we plead for more at the open fount, which is pouring forth more than we accept? The unspoken desire does bring us nearer the source of all existence and blessedness.

What that quote says to me is that we are home. We cannot go any farther than God. We have arrived right at His door.

And I'll close with yet another cute kid remark made as a response to the question "What does love mean?" (love those cute kids!): "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Such blessedness, such bliss!

Any blessings come your way lately?






To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.