Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl tells us, "There are two races of men in the world, but only these two - the 'race' of decent men and the 'race' of indecent men. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society."
This is a fact that was discovered by roughly 100,000 soldiers fighting in the First World War in December of 1914.
In numerous places along the front, soldiers heard the soldiers on the other side of "no man's land" celebrating Christmas, and courageously stepped out of their trenches to share the festivities together. They exchanged songs, stories, food and drink. They also agreed to stop fighting in order to bury their dead. There are even stories of impromptu soccer matches breaking out.
What these men discovered was that they had a great deal in common with their "enemies." They too were stuck in cold and miserable conditions, far from home, constantly fearing death. They were not the "godless villains" they were made out to be. They were people, much like themselves, who in different circumstances would have been friends.
Higher ranking officers soon became aware of the Christmas truces of 1914, where so many soldiers risked disciplinary measures for fraternizing with the enemy. Though they could not punish all of the soldiers who participated, they made their displeasure known. Men were often transferred to other units to eliminate the new familiarity. When Christmas of 1915 arrived, there were far fewer of these truces, and by 1916 they appear to have been eliminated.
It should also be noted that efforts to make peace with people on the other side were not limited to the men fighting. In 1914, a group of British suffragists published an open letter to women on the other side of the war to make a peaceful gesture and promote solidarity.
Similar gestures were made by women in other countries. This again was a dangerous move. To be seen as unpatriotic could potentially put the suffrage movement at risk and further delay women gaining their right to vote.
Looking back in history, we can see that the First World War was a horrible mistake that resulted from poor decision making on the part of world leaders. It put millions of people into a horrible dilemma where they had to choose between following their conscience and doing what they were told.
When we see one person choosing not to follow unjust laws, it gives us inspiration. When we see thousands upon thousands spontaneously doing so it gives us hope for humanity.
What these brave people discovered in 1914 is that there is much more that unites people than that divides us.
What makes people different is superficial. We are born or choose to live in different places, we speak different languages, we practice different religions, we eat different food and listen to different music.
We can break barriers to our common humanity so easily, as these men did when they came out of their trenches, by simply getting to know each other, by sharing music, sports and food, by trying to speak each other's languages, by simply sharing our stories.
Though the world has made tremendous advances, there are still those who tell us that we need to be suspicious of our sisters and brothers, that they are different and dangerous. Yes, there are a few bad people, but there are bad people among us as well. The vast majority are very good, with hopes and dreams for a better world.
There is a reason why the story of the Christmas truce of 1914 resonates for us to this day. It is a story of people discovering the truth about their "enemies."
As we celebrate Christmas and the New Year more than 100 years later, let's honour their courage and embrace their message as we continue to build a better world.
