Armistice Day!

The mind is an interesting thing. My grandfather, we called him "Pops", the last ten years of his life he had trouble remembering what happened the week before. Here is the amazing part - He then could rattle off everything that happened to him on that day 70 years earlier during the war. (The war was World War I.) The war to end all wars! Granny and Pops married in San Antonio after Pops finished a whole month of army training. After the wedding ceremony Pops was shipped overseas and Granny went back home to Byrd, life insurance policy in hand.

During the war Pops was a runner. This was the communication technology after pigeons and before the cell phone. He was a fast runner and that came in handy as he ran through the battle lines delivering the message. He was stationed on the Mosel River in France and the Rhine River in Germany. He told stories how they survived by digging turnips from the Germans' gardens. (If you call eating turnips surviving...)

It was "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" in 1918 when Germany agreed to armistice. Armistice - the cessation of hostilities. Finally there was peace. And my grandfather was the one who went down the Mosel River and then the Rhine informing the commanders that the war was over. What a great message to deliver!

It was a still night in Bethlehem when the angels announced Armistice Day, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men." It is what Paul had in mind in the great book of Romans when He writes, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." There is no longer hostility! And like Pops - we have the great honor to deliver this message. In this season don’t forget Armistice Day!

November 12, 2008