Majors David B. and Margaret W. Davis, Divisional Leaders write:

Dear Friends,

An amazing thing happened 100 years ago during the first Christmas of World War I.

In trenches all along the Western Front, soldiers from both sides put down their weapons and began . . . singing. The Allies sang “Silent Night,” the Germans “Stille Nacht.”

Then it got even more amazing. Soldiers began climbing out of their trenches and walking toward one another, into “no man’s land,” to exchange pleasantries and small gifts. They traded cigarettes and chocolates. They looked at each others’ pictures of families and girlfriends back home. They played soccer. They held a Christmas service together.

No one had called for a cease-fire. It just happened.

The goodness and peace of Christmas superseded, at least temporarily, everything else. The joy of celebrating Jesus’ birth overcame the fighting.

The miracle of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is captured beautifully in a French film called Joyeux Noel. It’s a great one to add to your holiday viewing list.

And now, the miracle of the Christmas of 2014 is upon us, with so much potential for spreading goodness and joy to our neighbors in need.

You have faithfully and compassionately demonstrated the spirit of Christmas with your support of The Salvation Army. On behalf of those we serve because of your generosity, I extend my deepest thanks.

Merry Christmas, and God bless you!