Believe it or not, five months into WWI, there was a momentary truce between German and British troops. Though the pope himself suggested a ‘Christmas Truce,’ the warring leaders would have none of it, so the soldiers took matters into their own hands. Like the brief flicker of a candle in the darkness, men laid down their arms, crossed enemy lines, and shared gestures of good will. Instead of guns firing and shells exploding, Christmas carols were sung back and forth from soldiers on each side. Now it’s not 1914, but it has certainly been a year of adversity. All of us have experienced this one way or another. Adversity has a clarifying effect on our lives. Though it’s painful, it does help us refocus our hearts and think about what really matters in life. Out of all the clarifying moments hopefully one shines out the most during this Christmas season: that you and I NEED Jesus. What if in our pain and difficulty we looked up instead of around? What if we truly adored Christ not as a seasonal accessory but the only God and Savior of the world? Christ came because He knows we can’t go at life alone and the power of sin cannot be broken by our effort or goodness. The prophet Isaiah declared, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” These very words were fulfilled 800 years later when the Angel said to Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” It’s obvious the world today needs Christ as much as the day He was born. The question that remains is will you lay down your arms to receive Him by faith and give Him your life? Merry CHRISTmas!