OMNI CHRISTMAS/LOVE AND PEACEMAKING DAY NEWSLETTER,
DECEMBER 25, 2013. Compiled by
Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace and Justice.
OMNI National/International DAYS Project
My blog: War
Department/Peace Department
My Newsletters:
Index:
Contents #1
Four Artistic Creations of the WWI
1914 Christmas Eve Trenches Truce
“All
Is Calm” Song
“Silent Night”
Opera
“Joyeux Noel” Film
“Christmas 1914
and 1968” Poem
Dick, Refugees: Joseph, Mary, Jesus
The Unemployed
Jim Wallis, Christmas Tithe for the Poor
Commercialism and Materialism
Center for American
Dream
Mike Masterson
Menendez, Struggle Over Nativity Scenes on Public Property
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[OMNI: I saw this
at the
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PBS SILENT NIGHT, Dec. 13, 2013
Silent Night [I saw the PBS premiere Dec. 13, 2013. –Dick]
Silent Night premiered Friday, December 13, 2013.
Silent
Night
Watch the full episode above
Watch the full episode above
About the Program
The Minnesota Opera’s production of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night,
a company commission which earned its composer the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in
Music, recounts a miraculous moment of peace during one of the bloodiest wars
in human history.
Courtesy of Silent Night,
2011 © Michal Daniel for
The fascinating true story takes place on World War
I’s western front. Weapons are laid down when the Scottish, French and German
officers defy their superiors and negotiate a Christmas Eve truce. Enemies
become brothers as they come together to share Christmas and bury their dead.
The Minnesota Opera presented the world premiere of Silent
Night in November,
2011 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul , Minnesota
Silent Night was conducted by Minnesota Opera’s Music
Director Michael Christie and staged by Academy Award-winning director Eric
Simonson. Silent Night, which was recently honored with
a regional Emmy nomination, was the first commission of Minnesota Opera’s New
Works Initiative, a landmark program designed to invigorate the operatic repertoire
with an infusion of contemporary works.
Minnesota
Opera’s production of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night is presented by tpt National Productions.
Joyeux
Noel (2005)
[I saw
this several years ago at an OMNI Film Night.
–D]
On Christmas Eve during world War I, the Germans, French, and
Scottish fraternize and get to know the men who live on the opposite side of a
brutal war, in what became a true lesson of humanity.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
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Joyeux Noel: Merry Christmas
By Austin Whitehead
"It is thought possible that the enemy may be contemplating an attack during Xmas or New Year. Special vigilance will be maintained duringring this period". From General Headquarters at St. Omer- to all units 24th December, 1914" (Xmas Truce). Joyeux Noel, released in 2005, was written and directed by Christian Carion, the director of the movie, Girl from Paris. Carion wrote and directed the film from the three different viewpoints of the three countries involved in the Christmas truce. Carion cast the movie so that each character in the movie was portrayed by an actor who was native to the same country. The members of the cast spoke the language of their home countries. This makes the language ofthe film trilingual as it is in German, English, and French with subtitles in English. The cast of Joyeux Noel is not well known in In 2006, Joyeux Noel was an Oscar nomination for best foreign film at the Academy Awards and Golden Globe awards in the The costumes of Joyeux Noel accurately reflect what was worn during that time. The uniforms were unique to the countries that were being portrayed. Even the use of hats instead of helmets by the Scottish and French troops was common at this time. The weapons were all stylized after the weapons used during World War 1. The movie Joyeux Noel follows the three nations that are thrust into combat against one another on the Western Front in 1914, the British, the French, and the Germans. The movie begins with a young child from each country reciting a speech to a class about the oppressors who stood in the way of their respective countries. The movie then follows several key characters in the movie. The first characters that it follows are Palmer, a priest, and Jonathan, a young man who works with Palmer in a small church in The movie then moves forward two months into the war when Aubybert, a French lieutenant, is preparing his men for an assault against the German trench system. The French supported by the Scottish under the command of Gordon attack the German trenches with staggering losses to both sides. In the retreat Jonathan's brother is killed. In command of the German defenders is Horstmayer a young German lieutenant who is in command of the regiment that Sprink is in. This is the only major battle or fight in the film. Things become calm as Christmas Day is approaching. Both sides anticipate an attack; although they don't know it, each side is in fact planning a Christmas celebration or party in the trenches. The German commander in charge of the front sent about 100,000 small Christmas trees to the frontlines. It is during the preparations for Christmas that Anna Sorenson offers to put on a Christmas Eve recital with Sprink at the German command post. After receiving permission from the German Crown Prince, Sprink is brought from the lines to participate in the recital with Anna. After the recital Sprink makes the decision to return to the front and sing for his comrades. On the other side of the lines the French and Scottish soldiers are having Christmas dinner. Palmer begins to play the bagpipes as the rest of the Scottish soldiers begin to sing. After a few songs Sprink arrives at the German trenches and begins to sing for his comrades. After Sprink has sung first verse of Silent Night, Palmer begins playing the second verse from across the lines. Sprink rises from the trenches and sings across the field. After the song, the British applaud Sprink. Palmer then starts the opening of another song and Sprink joins in. Sprink takes one of the small Christmas trees and walks singing into no man's land between the two lines. After the song, greetings are exchanged. At this time Horstmayer, and Gordon meet, along with Aubybert and discuss a truce for Christmas Eve. The troops from both sides converge on the field with On Christmas Day Jonathan tries to bury his brother as the field is covered in fog. As the fog lifts Gordon, Horstmayer, and Aubybert discuss another truce in order to bury the dead. A small cemetery is made as each side collects their fallen comrades and Palmer goes and performs a small service for each of the fallen. After the funerals, a soccer game develops between the two sides. It is at this time that Anna persuades Sprink to surrender to the French so they could remain together. Shortly after the sides once again split up and return to their posts. Later during the day Horstmayer warns the French and the British that his artillery will open fire on their trenches. He invites them to come over and take shelter in the German trench. After the bombardment Gordon invites the Germans to take shelter in his trench because of a retaliatory bombardment from the British. After the second bombardment the Germans return to their trenches and the Scottish troops salute them with a song from their bagpipers. It is during this lull that Sprink surrenders to Aubybert. It is not long after this that the high commands from all three countries learn of the truce. They find out about the truce through the letters sent home by the soldiers. The commanders disagree with the truce and take actions to reprimand the troops involved. The Scottish commander comes to the front line and orders them to shoot a German soldier who is running toward the French line. Jonathan is the only one who fires and kills the soldier. The soldier running toward the French is in fact Ponchel, Aubybert's aide. The Scottish commander replaces Gordon's unit on the line. Aubybert's unit is ordered to the In an article for the New York Times, movie critic Stephen Holden says that, Joyeux Noel, a glossy French antiwar movie is the kind of feel-good, feel-sad movie with a message that invites you to bask in the glow of communal bonhomie". Holden continues to say that, Although I respect Holden's critique of Joyeux Noel, I strongly disagree with his analysis of the movie. True the wars fought in the 21st century are more complex; at the beginning of World War I, the traditional military tactics developing from the Napoleonic era were used. World War I was the training ground for military tactics that are still being used in the modern military. To say that religious, ideological and economic differences between opposing foes are more complex is an interesting statement. However, the beginning and ending of the film justify the theme that problems facing modern nations on the brink of, or in the throes a war have been around for centuries. With respect, I disagree with most of the points Holden made. Although much of the story of Joyeux Noel is fictional, the events portrayed in the film actually happened. Although there are very few remaining survivors of World War I who fought on the western front there are quite a few written records of the events. On November 7th 2006 a young private's letter to his mother in which he talks of shaking hands and playing a game of football (soccer) with the Germans was sold at an auction (The NY Times). Other written accounts of the football game recorded the Germans winning with a score of 3-2 (Allen). Letters and news of the Christmas truce of 1914 were published in Although the Christmas truce of 1914 was largely dismissed and looked down upon, the countries of today look back and see that the truce was not treason or disobedience; it is now seen as a miraculous occasion. Items received as gifts during the truce and letters from the time are being placed in museums for the remembrance of this spectacular occasion. One example is a pipe. Although the Christmas truce of 1914 happened 94 years ago, the spirit of the truce lives on in the artifacts from the soldiers who experienced the truce, the books and movies made over this very human occasion where soldiers from opposing sides laid down their arms and greeted one another in brotherhood on the holiest of days. The Christmas truce of 1914 shows that differences between nations can be settled by common men, who can join together even in the most trying times. The Christmas truce of 1914 proves that the old lie "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori", How sweet it is to die for one's country (Owen), is false. Joyeux Noelportrays this message by telling the story of men whose names have been forgotten while their actions on the glorious day live on. Works Cited 1. "Young Private's letter tells of poignant exchanges of Christmas truce." New York Times 17 Oct. 2006 2. Allen, Richards. "90th Anniversary of WW1 Football Truce." New York Times 24 Dec. 2004 3. "New home for peace pipe." BBC 4. Holden, Stephen. Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas): A Truce Forged by Germans, French and Scots. New York Times 3 March, 2006 5. Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce Et Decorum Est". http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/Dulce.html 6. Xmas Truce. http://www.kinnethmont.co.uc/1914-1918_files/xmas-truce.htm
Christmas 1914 &
1968
It was fifty years and
four more ago
Since World War I was
being fought in the snow
Christmas 1914 the
soldiers endured
In the darkness, no mans
land was obscured
But then a holiday tree
could be seen in the wire
In the hearts of the
soldiers, dreams of peace were inspired
The soldiers from
Germany, France, and the UK
Played soccer together
on Christmas day
The truce was not
sanctioned, they were breaking the rules
To keep fighting on
Christmas, they'd have to be fools
The truce held in some
places till New Years Day
But higher up officers
made them again square away
Now it is Christmas 1968
Up all night, for the
Sun we await
Our lights are all gone
so our visions impaired
It's so dark at night,
except for the parachute flares
Our mortars are
thumping, the tracers are flying
My heart double pumping,
there's somebody dying
Bullets reach a target, may not be what you think
Its war for Christmas,
we went over the brink
A hundred yards past the
airstrip that night
The Viet Cong were
trying, to get in close for a fight
Back in the world,
Silent Night they were singing
When our mortars took
out, the gifts they were bringing
Then came the sound of
secondary explosions
I just put it away, and
forgot those emotions
But now its all finished
with, over and done
In spite of the dying,
no peace has been won
World War I happened a
long time ago
The reasons for fighting
I never did know
In 2014 it will be 100
years
Since the war that was
stopped by those brave mutineers
Is peace on Earth just
some words in a speech?
Or could it be something
war veterans might teach?
Jim Hale
June 18 2011
CHRISTMAS FOR REFUGEES Dick Bennett MATTHEW 2 tells the “Christmas Story” of Jesus’ birth and the wise men from the East coming to The question has surely occurred to many Christians, in pondering the problem of illegal immigrants in the During the 1980s in South America and in Central America—in El Salvador and Guatemala especially--, when military rulers were oppressing and killing their people, thousands fled in all directions to escape the slaughter, many of them reaching the US. Unfortunately, the fanatically anti-communist What did the public majority think at the time? What think today? Should the But another kind of refugee is at the center of a stormy controversy today. The war against economic refugees—the displaced and homeless--is roiling our country. And yet other refugees, that promise to be far larger in number than the others—I refer to climate refugees, people fleeing the rising seas and droughts resulting from atmospheric warming—are already on the move. Economic and climate displacement together will challenge the governments of the world to an extent never before experienced. A Sanctuary Movement much greater than that of the 1980s will likely be necessary to assist the desperate populations, unless governments on all levels are prepared. Let us hope our leaders will be ready to put in practice the rescue of refugees as were the authorities with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.
Carl Gibson, Billions for the Pentagon, Spare Change for
the Unemployed
Carl Gibson, Reader Supported News, 12 December 2013
Gibson writes: "Good jobs are on
everyone's wish list this Christmas, but all
the working class (because let's be honest - there's basically no middle
class in this country) is getting from the beltway elite and the two
corporate-owned parties is more coal in our stockings."
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FROM SOJOURNERS 11-29-12
Starting the 'Christmas Tithe'
Religion is far too judgmental. Surveys show that many people
think that, especially a new generation of young people who — more than ever
before — are checking the “none of the above” religious affiliation box.
I get it. But religious leaders tend to be judgmental about many
of the wrong things; they are not making moral judgments on the important
questions. So I am going to be judgmental, as a religious leader, about
something I just read.
A recent Harris International and World Vision poll showed that Americans plan to spend
more this Christmas season on consumer gifts than they did last year, but give
less to charities and ministries that help the poor. Many say they are less likely to give
a charitable gift as a holiday present — a drop from 51 percent to 45 percent.
So we will have more Christmas presents this year, but less help
for the poor. While retailers, economists, and politicians may rejoice at the
news about higher consumer spending this year, the lower levels of support for
the ones Jesus called “the least of these” should legitimately bring some moral
judgments from the faith community.
Indeed, the Matthew 25 scripture that this text is taken from is
one of the few, and most, judgmental passages in all the New Testament. About some things, Jesus was judgmental.
The Gospel clearly says that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the
stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Jesus.
That’s pretty judgmental, especially when you go on to read what will happen to
those who ignore Jesus in this way.
But rather than just being
judgmental, let’s do something about it. Let’s start a "Christmas
Tithe.” Let’s spread the
idea to our kids, our families, our friends and neighbors, and to the members
of our congregations. Let’s keep it simple:
Keep track of all our holiday spending for gifts this year, and
then tithe a percentage of that amount to an organization that directly serves
the poor. A tithe is traditionally 10 percent, but you could decide to do less
or even more. But make a decision about your Christmas tithe and pledge it to
groups that are now struggling to respond to the highest number of Americans in
poverty in half a century, and to those who focus on the poorest and most
vulnerable around the world. This is a time to give more — not less.
Sit down with your kids and get them involved in the discussion
and decision. You may be surprised at how responsive they are to doing this
together. World Vision, which commissioned the sad survey, has a great World
Vision Gift Catalog that concretely improves the lives of a children and
families in need around the world by providing critical tools, opportunities,
and animals to overcome extreme poverty!
We do this every Christmas Day at our home after we have opened
our presents to each other; and our two boys often feel it is the best part of
the day. Each kid gets to choose a gift for a family in one of the world’s
poorest countries. (Goats are top choices!) And then we decide together what
else we will give to other families. Many other organizations provide similar
opportunities. We at Sojourners have launched our own Just Giving Guide for
that reason. Such gifts can be given in the name of our children or loved
ones.
The only silver lining from the World Vision survey was the high
number of people who like charitable gifts like this that are given in their
names. This Christmas, my own extended Wallis family, instead of just giving
more things to each other, are all giving to an orphanage in Haiti
All of that can be part of our Christmas Tithe.
Many of us are deeply involved in missions and campaigns to bring
social justice to this world — to transform structures and policies that hurt
the poor into new practices that help them overcome their poverty. But the kind
of personal giving that we do is also very important, especially in teaching
the lessons of compassion and justice to our children.
So let’s counter the results of the survey with a Christmas Tithe.
Gather your family together around this, send the idea to your friends and
fellow believers, take the idea to church, write letters to the editor in your
local paper. Let’s all decide this Christmas to tithe a percentage of all that
we give in Christmas presents directly to the poor — those who were given the
greatest gift at the first Christmas, with a child born in a stable who
promised to bring them “good news.”
Jim Wallis is the author
of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. His forthcoming book, On God's
Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned about Serving the
Common Good, is set to release in early
2013. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
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ON THE GOD'S POLITICS BLOG
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Been There, Bordered
That. So Why Are We Still So Afraid?
by Maryada Vallet
Friends and fellow Christians, let's take this opportunity for changing the immigration system to be just that, real change that keeps families together, respects workers, frees the captives and welcomes immigrants, and not another excuse to perpetuate this cycle of fear of our neighbor.
+ Click to continue
by Maryada Vallet
Friends and fellow Christians, let's take this opportunity for changing the immigration system to be just that, real change that keeps families together, respects workers, frees the captives and welcomes immigrants, and not another excuse to perpetuate this cycle of fear of our neighbor.
+ Click to continue
COMMERCIALISM AND MATERIALISM
1.
Google
Search for Center
for a New American Dream, Dec. 20, 2013.
National non-profit organization
challenging the "more is better" definition of theAmerican dream.
Junk
Mail
Center for a New American
Dream - more of what matters.
|
Mission
The mission of the Center for
the New American Dream.
|
Jobs
Careers at the Center for the
New American Dream.
|
Kids and
Commercialism
Campaign to teach more about
the effects of advertising and ...
|
About Us
About Us. beach sunset with
silhouette Since its founding in ...
|
The High Price of Materialism
VIDEO: The High Price of
Materialism. In this short ...
|
2.
Center for a New American Dream - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Center for a New
American Dream is a nonprofit organization with a
stated mission to “help Americans to reduce and shift their consumption to
improve ...
3.
The New American Dream: It's Not What You Think - ABC News - Go ...abcnews.go.com
› Money
Sep 8, 2013 - A great number of Americans are redefining the American Dream. That was the takeaway
from a recent Credit.com poll, which showed that ...
4.
Xavier
University - Center for the
Study of the American Dream
index new. ... American Dream Composite Index™ and
Eye-Opener Results ... Happy Holidays from the Center for the Study of the American Dream.
MIKE MASTERSON TALK ON COMMERCIALIZING
CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER 1, 2006 at UNITED CAMPUS MINISTRY, 902 W. Maple,
Fayetteville, corner of Maple and
Storer, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 7PM
SPONSORED BY THE OMNI PEACE CENTER
Mr. Masterson was the Editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times and
is now a columnist with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Comment by Mike Masterson as recorded by Dick:
Our society in particular has confused the celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ with an opportunity to sell the notion of Santa Claus, Scrooge, Daisy
air rifles and now a movie about Jack Frost's envy of Santa Claus. As all
this rampant commercialism in the name of Christ has transpired over the
past 60 years or so, others now are moving to remove the Christmas holiday altogether and, I suppose, turn it into an even crasser commercial celebration - a cause to celebrate what? Gluttony and buying gifts on credit we can't really afford to impress many we may not even like all that much? I feel true Christians are not perplexed in their faith, but we all know that many who attend church do so for reasons other than their
authentic faith. I'm deeply disappointed in where we find ourselves in 2006America .
SPONSORED BY THE OMNI PEACE CENTER
Mr. Masterson was the Editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times and
is now a columnist with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Comment by Mike Masterson as recorded by Dick:
Our society in particular has confused the celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ with an opportunity to sell the notion of Santa Claus, Scrooge, Daisy
air rifles and now a movie about Jack Frost's envy of Santa Claus. As all
this rampant commercialism in the name of Christ has transpired over the
past 60 years or so, others now are moving to remove the Christmas holiday altogether and, I suppose, turn it into an even crasser commercial celebration - a cause to celebrate what? Gluttony and buying gifts on credit we can't really afford to impress many we may not even like all that much? I feel true Christians are not perplexed in their faith, but we all know that many who attend church do so for reasons other than their
authentic faith. I'm deeply disappointed in where we find ourselves in 2006
Menendez, Albert. The December Wars: Religious Symbols and Ceremonies in the
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END CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER 2013
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