Concert remembers 1914 Christmas Truce

During World War I, on Christmas Day 1914, the sounds of rifles firing and shells exploding faded in a number of places along the Western Front in favor of holiday celebrations in the trenches and gestures of goodwill between enemies.

On Friday, Dec. 21, at 7:00 p.m., Unity Spiritual Center Westlake will hold a concert in remembrance of the 1914 Christmas Truce. All are invited to celebrate the joy of the Christmas season and to remember and proclaim that peace in the world is possible among people of goodwill.

The concert will be an evening of songs, stories and healing with Christopher Reynolds, singer, songwriter, author, teacher and holistic healer. Reynolds’ mission is to sing the dream of earth onward through songs, writings, ritual, healing concerts and workshops. You will also experience an ancient Winter Solstice labyrinth walk ceremony honoring the sacred divine and her healing waters. This ceremony comes to us from Chartres Cathedral in France which is the site of the well-known labyrinth built in the 13th century.

Starting on Christmas Eve 1914, many German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines. At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick. But seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. Even a world war could not destroy the Christmas spirit or the universal desire for peace.

Register online at uscwestlake.org for the World Peace Concert and Labyrinth. The concert is free and open to the public. A love offering of $10 is suggested. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.

For more information about events at USC, contact Roberta McLaughlin at unityinfo@uscwestlake.org, 440-835-0400. Unity Spiritual Center is located at 23855 Detroit Road.