Written by Dallas HylandIt is Christmas Eve, 2014. Today, on this day, one hundred years ago, Allied forces and German forces in the trench warfare of World War I engaged in what would become known as the Christmas Truce. To date, it is widely viewed as the singularly most remarkable truce in modern war history.
Across the lines in the “no mans land” between the opposing trenches, in place of exchanging gunfire, soldiers exchanged gifts and extended a host of courtesies to one another ranging from acts of Christmas good will, to exchanging prisoners and bodies, and going as far as to attend one another burials of their comrades.
Commemorating this event today with Kate Dalley during my regular spot on the Perspectives Show, we were both struck with the events audacity of humanity, and an anomaly of sorts, we found ourselves on common ground. Those who listen to the show will note it a rare occasion when Kate and I agree, but it happens.
While discussing the historic event, it was hard for either of us not to note the irony of having had such an experience only to return the following day to warfare.
Really think about this. Enemies momentarily became friends. They found their common ground. They surely contemplated the absurdity of war; that decisions regarding their own fate and the fate of humanity were made with hardly their consent and yet out of duty and obligation they were tasked with the patriotic duty of laying waste to the lives of the men they had come to know as not much different than themselves.
What a powerfully poignant statement and a transcendent one at that.
Today on the show, Kate and I set down the politics and the ideological banter to spend an hour on the show sharing stories of Christmas and family tradition. We invited the listeners to call in and share as well. And the little known secret of my on air nemesis was revealed: Kate and I are actually friends, good friends.
At the end of the day, we have more in common than what separates us and were our conversations about matters of consequence to begin with that premise, what we could accomplish would be a worthwhile endeavor. This holds true as well for our collective listening and reading audience I’d wager.
And there it is. A simple real time example of my Christmas wish to all of you. In my capacity as a voice in this community it is my earnest desire to incite the rigorous dialogue that brings about the best in us and for us. In spite of our differences, we for the most part come from that good place of wanting things to be better. We want justice and fairness to be the order of the day and while we have different ideas about how that is best accomplished, that we have that in common, speaks well of us.
Merry Christmas St. George.
See you out there.
