Fritz Vincken was 12 years old when he witnessed a defining event in his life. His father had sent him and his mother to stay in a cabin in the woods, thinking they would be safe from the battles of WWII. They couldn’t have known the Battle of the Bulge would soon rage in those same woods.
It snowed on Christmas Eve in 1944. That evening, a knock came at the Vincken cabin door. They blew out the candles and cautiously peered outside. Three fully armed American soldiers, one injured, were outside speaking a language Fritz didn’t understand. It was clear they were asking for help. His mother invited them in.
She conversed with them in broken French. The Americans had been searching for their battalion for three days, avoiding German troops. She treated the wounded soldier and cooked the Christmas chicken with potatoes and oats.
Suddenly, they heard another knock at the door. Four more soldiers were looking for shelter. They were Germans! Fritz’ mother was frightened, as harboring the enemy was a capital offense. But in a firm voice she explained the presence of the other guests. She declared, “This is Christmas Eve, and there will be no shooting here.” She explained that she would treat all of them as her sons. “Put your weapons here on the woodpile,” she said, “and hurry up before the others eat the dinner!” The alure of warmth and the aroma of chicken made them comply. She disarmed the Americans as well.
The unlikely dinner party sat down to eat. Mother bowed her head to pray, and with tears in her eyes said, “Come Lord Jesus. Be our guest.” The battle-weary boys, some as young as 16, wept as they experienced a moment of grace and peace.
The next morning, the Germans told the Americans how to find their battalion. Mother blessed them all to get home safely someday soon. The soldiers shook hands and went their separate ways.
This is a remarkable story of how the gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace on earth. In this case it was peace between men who might have been shooting at each other. By faith, people who were enemies or who don’t even know each other, are family. “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household” (Eph 2:19).
Jesus’ primary mission was peace of a different sort: “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:1-2). He is your refuge from the harsh realities of sin that separate you from God. So, this Christmas celebrate peace with God, brought to you by the Prince of Peace, born in Bethlehem.