On December 24th, 1914, in the first year of what became known as the Great War and later World War One, a German soldier called out across No-Man's Land, "Tommy, come over and visit us!" Probably thinking this was just a joke, a British soldier called back, "No, you come over here!" But the German replied, "I meet you halfway?" and it actually happened.
All along the battlefront, troops from both sides (British, French, Belgian, German, Austrian) engaged in a spontaneous cease-fire. They did this in direct violation of orders from their superiors. The singing, feasting, joint church services, burial of their dead, exchanges of gifts and (most famously) playing of soccer football became the stuff of legend.
A hundred years later, there are wars going on, declared and undeclared, all over the planet. What if the people of the world took the centennial of that miraculous truce as an opportunity to call a halt, at least for a day?
Let us ask our military and political leaders to take up that German soldier's offer, and meet the people on the other side halfway.
