| From the Well |
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Contact me at RevRay86@hotmail.com
From the Well
December, where has the year gone? It seems like only yesterday we were enjoying the warmth of summer and
that too went by too fast. Maybe it’s me, but it seems the years are slipping by much faster the more years I am
alive. Someone once told me that when we start thinking more about the past and less about the future we have
become old.
However Christmas always seems to make us think of the past. We celebrate the Prince of Peace’s birthday. We
repeat the scripture “...on earth peace, good will to men.”(Lk 2: 14) I think about that phrase often. Peace on earth,
what a wonderful thought. Yet, since the birth of Jesus there has been no peace especially not between human
beings.
Since we began to celebrate Christmas how many men and women have been in harm’s way during Christmas.
There is no way to give an accurate number, but it has been millions. Stories come from WWI and WWII where on
Christmas Eve battle weary soldiers have heard Christmas carols being sung by the “enemy”. WWI carols were
sung in English and German in trenches almost right next to each other. From WWII comes a story of Elisabeth
Vincken who took in American and German soldiers on Christmas even after they promise to lay down their weapons
for the evening. When the Germans left they gave a compass and directions to the Americans to find their way
home.
I remember spending Christmas away from home during the Viet Nam war; I remember the Christmas after my
brother was killed there. Peace on earth seems like a fairy tale. This year men and women will spend their
Christmas in a land that does not celebrate Christmas. In Afghanistan and Iraq they will think about home and
Christmas and peace on earth.
Peace what a wonderful thought. Peace will only come to this earth when we learn to love one another as much as
God loves us. The good news is that Jesus will come again and peace will reign throughout this earth. During this
Christmas season spend time in prayer that we will find peace and those who are so far away and in harm’s way will
come home. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they prosper who love you! Peace be within your walls, and
security within your towers!’ For my brethren and companions’ sake I will say ‘Peace be within you!’ For the sake of
the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” (Ps 122: 6-9) Pray for the peace of the world this Christmas.
Yours in Christ,
Ray
December, where has the year gone? It seems like only yesterday we were enjoying the warmth of summer and
that too went by too fast. Maybe it’s me, but it seems the years are slipping by much faster the more years I am
alive. Someone once told me that when we start thinking more about the past and less about the future we have
become old.
However Christmas always seems to make us think of the past. We celebrate the Prince of Peace’s birthday. We
repeat the scripture “...on earth peace, good will to men.”(Lk 2: 14) I think about that phrase often. Peace on earth,
what a wonderful thought. Yet, since the birth of Jesus there has been no peace especially not between human
beings.
Since we began to celebrate Christmas how many men and women have been in harm’s way during Christmas.
There is no way to give an accurate number, but it has been millions. Stories come from WWI and WWII where on
Christmas Eve battle weary soldiers have heard Christmas carols being sung by the “enemy”. WWI carols were
sung in English and German in trenches almost right next to each other. From WWII comes a story of Elisabeth
Vincken who took in American and German soldiers on Christmas even after they promise to lay down their weapons
for the evening. When the Germans left they gave a compass and directions to the Americans to find their way
home.
I remember spending Christmas away from home during the Viet Nam war; I remember the Christmas after my
brother was killed there. Peace on earth seems like a fairy tale. This year men and women will spend their
Christmas in a land that does not celebrate Christmas. In Afghanistan and Iraq they will think about home and
Christmas and peace on earth.
Peace what a wonderful thought. Peace will only come to this earth when we learn to love one another as much as
God loves us. The good news is that Jesus will come again and peace will reign throughout this earth. During this
Christmas season spend time in prayer that we will find peace and those who are so far away and in harm’s way will
come home. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they prosper who love you! Peace be within your walls, and
security within your towers!’ For my brethren and companions’ sake I will say ‘Peace be within you!’ For the sake of
the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” (Ps 122: 6-9) Pray for the peace of the world this Christmas.
Yours in Christ,
Ray