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“Sleep in Heavenly Peace”
(December 2, 2018) After reading the powerful words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7), our message this morning came in the form of a story, read by three veterans from our congregation: (in order) Sarah J., Wayne A., and Bob P. We had hoped to have the story read/also read by Jack R., a WWII veteran, but he was not able to read aloud, and so we share this story in part in his honor. The text comes from “The WWI Christmas Truce,” by Christopher Kline.
During the recording, we displayed a slideshow of images from the truce.
After the story, I said: Can you imagine returning to the trenches to fight, sending gunfire across the field where you just played soccer, aiming at the people with whom you exchanged gifts? I can’t imagine it. But the truce ended, and the war resumed. That’s what we humans do. Our peace is temporary, fleeting, and fragile. This is why we need the light of Christ in our lives. This is why we long not for our own peace, but for God’s heavenly peace. The musical group Celtic Thunder tells this story another way…
I then attempted to play this song from Celtic Thunder, which I find quite powerful, although perhaps too intense for some.
