It is Christmas Eve 1914 as these words ring out across the battle front. A young English soldier named Tom would hear these words and be so struck by the events which would follow that at 2am on Christmas morning he would sit in the trenches as others slept, writing to his sister Janet.

Tom recalls laying in his cot that night and drifting off to sleep, only to be woken by a friend. They rushed to a place where they could look out over no-man's land and see all the way to the german trenches. Tom witnessed the Germans erecting Christmas trees above their trenches. It is then that English soldiers heard it. Stille nacht, heilige nacht. The still little known hymn, Silent Night rang our over the battle field.

Tom was struck by the carol, remarking: "I've never heard one lovelier-or more meaningful, in that quiet, clear night, its dark softened by a firstquarter moon."

As the Germans finished their carol, the British trenches applauded before bursting into a rendition of "The First Noel." Back and forth the carolling went, until the Englishmen began singing "O Come all Ye Faithful" only for the German troops to join with them in song. It was at this point that Tom remembers hearing a voice from the German trenches. "English, come over!" we heard one of them shout. "You no shoot, we no shoot." Wary that this may be a trap, one English soldier replied, "You come over here." Astonishingly, they did!

After a brief meeting of officers from either side, a temporary truce was arranged. There would be no more shooting until midnight the following day.

Quickly the trenches of both sides began to empty. English and German soldiers introduced themselves to one another, shared stories and exchanged gifts.

On December 7 1914 Pope Benedict XV had called on fighting to stop for Christmas. A call which had been roundly rejected by governments on both sides of the war. Yet in this moment those men who were carrying the guns would refuse to pick them up and take aim at their enemy. Remarkably this was a pattern which would repeat across as much as two thirds of the British-German lines. Sadly, Christmas day passed and the fighting quickly began once more. Horrified by what had been allowed to happen, those leading the war effort would squash future attempts at such temporary truces. Yet on that one night, the joy and hope of Christmas was able to bring a momentary peace to one of the deadliest conflicts humanity has ever known.

As those soldiers sang to one another, they sang of the one who brings joy and peace. The Lord Jesus whose birth we remember on Christmas day. On the first Christmas the Angel's had announced his birth, singing:

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests."

In a world at war against God, Christmas is the offer of peace with God. A peace which Jesus would win for us by joining us in the trenches of this life. Facing all the hardships and dangers of this life for our sake. He even lay down his life to reconcile us to God.

German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch said of the Christmas truce: "How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time."

That same message of God's love, shown in sending Jesus Christ into the world, offers peace between humanity and God. A peace which lasts not only "for a time", but for all eternity for those who grasp Jesus for who he truly is.