Today I’ve had the convergence of a perfect mental storm.  As is often the case with me, I often have what I’ve heard referred to as an earworm or an aneurhythm.  That’s when you get a song – usually a portion of a song – that just plays continuously in your head. 

Today’s tune was Snoopy’s Christmas, the classic rock Christmas tune by the Royal Guardsmen.  I always love hearing that song. Dunno why. I just do. While the tune takes me back to my days of watching all the various Christmas TV specials (especially the Charlie Brown and the various “claymation” shows like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer), this year I was drawn into another line of thought.

This different line of thought was fueled this last week when I watched an episode of the new ABC hit TV show, Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen.  Tim plays Mike Baxter and, aside from his infant grandson, is the only male in the house. 

I feel his pain.

Anyway, there was a scene wherein Mike shares the story of the infamous “Christmas Truce” that took place in 1914 during World War I. It was where the warring enemies stopped their fighting and celebrated Christmas together.  To me, it sounded like so much bull that, with the Snoopy’s Christmas earworm looping in my mind, I decided to research whether or not it really happened.

Not only did it really happen – and I’m not making this up, folks – it actually served as the inspiration to the writing of Snoopy’s Christmas.

Queue up the Twilight Zone them.

Okay, you can stop it now.

This discovery –with Snoopy’s Christmas still playing in the background of my mind – got me to thinking.  Every Christmas, we hear the same old stories about the commercialization of Christmas, doing good to others and helping the needy.  All of these are still very valid points and we need to practice them throughout the year and not just during the yuletide season.

But what about our enemies?  No, not our enemies overseas but your personal enemies.  You say you don’t have any enemies?  Okay, that might be so.  However, I see on almost a daily basis where people post on Facebook and forward in e-mails vicious, vehement comments of a political or religious nature. 

I’ve seen friendships hurt by political commentary.  I’ve participated in the debates so I know of what I speak about.  And what gets me, we’re destroying friendships defending or attacking politicians who kiss our butts during a campaign and then won’t give us the time of day afterwards.

I’ve seen lack of wisdom used by people in attacking a religion or denomination that is different than what they practice – or any religion if they don’t practice one at all.  Heck, I’m the world’s worst about poking fun at those who are in the same general practice of faith as I am.  I grit my teeth when what I believe is maligned or insulted but I have found that it’s usually best to keep my mouth shut (and more times than not, I do).

However, it breaks my heart when I see those in my “religious camp” (or ones similar) attack Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses or other faiths or denominations.  I have a hard time believing that Christ would act that way if he were walking our streets today.

Regardless of your foundation of faith – or even if you don’t profess one at all –  or your political persuasion, I challenge each and every one of you to make it a point to reach out to that “enemy” – that person you hate, in friendship.  Use wisdom and don’t go in with a false sense of humility.  Otherwise, you’re wasting your time.  Set aside the knife you would use to stab them in the back or slit their throat (usually it comes in the form of your tongue) and carry an olive branch of peace.

In doing so, I believe that you and I will do our art in bringing peace to all the world and goodwill towards man.