So, This Is Christmas

This past Sunday two of our younger church members sang "Happy Xmas--War Is Over" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as our special music at one of our church services.  The older of the two, Henry, is in college and home on his Christmas break.  His younger sister, Anabelle, is in high school locally.  Neither of them, of course, were alive when that song first hit the airwaves in 1971--I'm not even sure their parents were!  But their simple presentation, just a guitar and their two lovely voices, was heartfelt and well done.

I, of course, was alive, and in my first year at college.  It was the year I got my draft card and was subject to the draft, and part of the draft lottery.  The war in Viet Nam was still in full swing, and back then the song spoke directly to me and my life.  I was opposed to the war and concerned about being drafted.  But in the end my number in the lottery was well above the cut off that year, and so I was not at risk of being drafted.

All of that came flooding back as I listened to them sing and reflected on it later.  I am glad that neither of them face the prospect of being drafted.  I am glad we are out of Viet Name, Iraq and Afghanistan.  But the truth is war is not over.  There is literal war in various corners of the world.  There is the ongoing war against Covid in this time of our Second Covid Christmas.  There is the ongoing war with racism.  And the list goes on.  War is not over.  But it could be.  That's what the song says, "War is over, if you want it."  As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the One we call the Prince of Peace, perhaps we do well to ask ourselves, as individuals, as a nation, indeed as a global community, do we really want it?  Do we really want war to be over?  Do we really want peace?   I hope so.

(Photo Credit:  Dana Crater)