A belated 'Merry Christmas'

I just caught 'Merry Christmas' - oh wow.
Sobbed at certain bits.
It's about a ceasefire between three groups of soldiers at the trenches on Christmas eve.
The brutality and senselessness of war, and the grace that redeems the men are all beautifully portrayed.

It really makes one question how wars can ever be good.

At the same time, some of the great Christian writers I admire (eg CS Lewis) were for England joining the war at that time. The God-sanctioned mass exterminations of various people groups in the Old Testament of the Bible also cannot be ignored.

Is my viewpoint too humanistic and not awesome-God centred enough? Or has redemption through Jesus in the New Testament rendered all wars after His coming evil? How can one deny that the Allies' defeat of Nazi germany prevented more great evil?

Hm.

In any case, the thing that struck me the most in the movie was the persecution that all three camps suffered after fraternising with the enemy. In one poignant scene, the priest who conducted the moving Christmas mass at the trenches is berated by his superior and asked if he is fit to continue in the priesthood. This superior then proceeds to give a sermon inciting the men to kill all enemies - young, old, woman or child. It was disgusting to see the gospel of peace perverted for men's bloodlust and false patriotism. Yet this happens all the time.



18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
John 15 :18 - 19

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:9 -12