Silent Night by Adam Fuller
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Isaiah 2:4-5 NIV
I remember a story my dad shared with me several Christmas seasons ago about the timeless song Silent Night. The story unfolds in the trenches of World War I amid a dispute between nations unlike anything the world had ever known.
Soldiers lived in these foxhole labyrinths as they fought and struggled against their respective enemy, until one day late in the cold month of December. As Christmas Eve arrived, a faint melody began to ring over the scarred field.
Soldiers on both sides laid down their weapons and joined in the familiar song, thinking of home and the hope of peace, joy, and love they longed for. Choruses of Silent Night and Stille Nacht drifted upward together like the smoke from slowly cooling artillery, recently put to rest. I imagine the stars shining down on that battlefield like the candles we raise every December 24th.
I feel the relief of the boys who would have been just as old as I am. I smell the smoke lingering in the air even through this brief lapse in battle. This imagery of peace through song amidst the brutality of humanity has always stuck with me whenever I hear Silent Night. I often still think of this story on Christmas Eve, when people from all around the world share this same melody, no matter the language, and share the same hope for the peace Isaiah prophesied so long ago.
As illustrated in this story, Isaiah foretells the days of the Messiah’s reign where there will be no more war, no need for sword or spear, no need for drone or missile. The Messiah reigns above any conflict this world could produce, and his glory governs all disputes. With this encouragement, Isaiah challenges the people of Judah, and us today, to “walk in the light of the Lord.”
While the ultimate reign of Christ may be many years away, Jesus can still live in our hearts and minds today. We must allow the Messiah into our hearts here on Earth so that we may reflect his love into the world. As we walk toward the light of Christmas, may this weary world rejoice in the light of our Lord.