got feeling pretty merry on the punch which the Old Man fixed personally in the seaman’s messdeck. We had a tremendous dinner—all the officers in a very congenial mood for a change—they were almost human.539
In our modern world it is easy to lose appreciation for simple pleasures. On this Christmas Day during wartime, this seaman didn’t receive a lot of extra benefits. Sleeping late, a special punch, and a good meal were about all there was. The ship still had to be cleaned in spite of the occasion. Still, these little amenities were appreciated and made this a special day.
It would be well if we could also do less during the Christmas season and enjoy the simple pleasures of our family and the Christmas story. It has unfortunately become trite to say that we need to “put Christ back into Christmas.” Nevertheless, this is the only way that we will ever simplify this increasingly turbulent time of year. Our entire purpose should be to focus on the Christ child and the beauty of his story: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son”(John 3:16).
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
December 25
In December 1944, while war continued to rage in Europe and the Pacific, President Roosevelt gave a radio address, trying to bring a moment of peace to the nation. In his 1944 Christmas Address he said:
It is not easy to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to you, my fellow Americans, in this time of destructive war.
Nor can I say ‘Merry Christmas’ lightly tonight to our armed forces at their battle stations all over the world—or to our allies who fight by their side. Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional way—because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Goodwill.
But, in perhaps every home in the United States, sad and anxious thoughts will be continually with the millions of our loved ones who are suffering hardships and misery, and who are risking their very lives to preserve for us and for all mankind the fruits of His teachings and the foundations of civilization itself.
The Christmas spirit lives tonight in the bitter cold of the front lines in Europe and in the heat of the jungles and swamps of Burma and the Pacific islands. Even the roar of our bombers and fighters in the air and the guns of our ships at sea will not drown out the messages of Christmas which come to the hearts of our fighting men.540
In today’s politically correct world, it is amazing and uplifting to hear a great former president say to the nation, “Merry Christmas,” and acknowledge “the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace.” The nation was undoubtedly more spiritual at that time and more conscious of its Christian heritage than it is today. This should not discourage us now, however. God is still sovereign; our nation is where God wants it to be. Freedom of conscience prevails, and our mission as Christians is clear. The nation and world need the Christmas message more than ever and await our personal, loving proclamation of it.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
December 26
Even in modern times it is hard for many to think of Christmas without thinking of Bing Crosby. In 1942 he sang “White Christmas” in the movie
Holiday Inn. The next year he recorded the melancholy but hopeful “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Both of these songs have become enduring Christmas classics, and both had their origins in the bleakest period of World War II, when there was no end to the war in sight. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in particular struck a chord with every GI away from home and with every loved one at home waiting for his or her return—especially the last line:
I have spent my share of Christmases away from home. One of the most dreary was a monsoon-soaked holiday season in Vietnam. By far the most poignant was a Christmas separated from my wife and new daughter. Aboard an amphibious ship in the South China Sea, Christmas 1972 was a lonely experience in close quarters with hundreds of other Marines. I spent long moments looking over the guardrail into an empty sea, thinking of home and Christmas. I was there, but “only in my dreams.” May God bless those servicemen and women this Christmas season who are a long way from home, doing their duty, but wishing they were with loved ones in a happier place.
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.
December 27
Darlene Deibler was preparing to return to the United States after being liberated from a Japanese internment camp and four years of captivity. The young missionary was approached by a Japanese officer with a surprising declaration:
Some people would not understand if I said this to them, but I think you will. I’m thanking God we lost the war. I really mean that! We are a proud people, and if we had won the war, the doors of Japan would never again have opened to missionaries. Many people would say I was a traitor to my country, but I love my country and my people enough to suffer the humiliation of defeat, that they might have the opportunity I have had of hearing that Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for all. There are many among the soldiers of my country who are now asking questions. There is a receptivity to my ministry, since the worship of our ancestors has failed to give us the
