Episode Details

Christmas is here, and I thought I would take a different tack, away from the overt politics of the day, and talk a bit about what I speak of at the end of each podcast.

Everyone recognizes the spirit of Christmas when the season approaches. Sadly, a lot of that spirit centers on material things because the profiteers and marketers never miss an opportunity to exploit our consumer society to their benefit. I’m not saying they’re bad people for it, but it would be nice if it weren’t “so slam it in your face” and “jam it down your throat” 24/7/365.

No, the Christmas spirit I am talking about is the “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” spirit. The spirit of brotherhood—and sisterhood, I don’t like to play those woke word games, so you know what I mean. If you’re offended by that sort of thing, well, I don’t think you listen regularly anyway.

At the end of each podcast, I always ask people to talk about politics, religion, and current events with their family, friends, and colleagues. My point in doing so is that when we have these conversations, we start to realize that we all have a lot more in common than we do in difference. It helps us—all of us—realize we aren’t in this thing called life alone, that we are part of a brotherhood—the brotherhood of man.

Now, I’m not naive enough not to see that there are some nefarious people in the world. There are. They are the weak, even though they see themselves, most times, as powerful and influential. These outliers, sadly, we won’t be able to reach with any message of brotherhood in the time we have on this earth. These are the people we must keep in check every day so that their egos and greed don’t damage our lives any further than they already have.

But those outliers are the exception, not the rule. The common rule, the commonality of natural law, is the brotherhood of man.

The brotherhood of man is a powerful thing, even emerging during times of war and revolution.

During the American Revolution, the faithful gathered in their churches regularly and heard messages of unity and brotherhood from their priests and preachers. These messages fostered unity among the diversity of the colonists who, through that message, achieved e pluribus unum, out of many, one.

These messages promoted a shared identity and common purpose, emphasizing the idea that all of the colonists were part of a greater American family fighting for liberty and freedom from the tyranny of King George. This sense of brotherhood was vital in rallying support for the revolutionary cause, encouraging mutual aid and sacrifice among the populace.

This message, this brotherhood of man message of unity, was instrumental in mobilizing both soldiers and civilians, reinforcing the shared resolve needed to endure the hardships of war and to envision a new nation built on principles of equality, freedom, liberty, and fraternity.

During World War I, an extraordinary event known as the Christmas Truce occurred—spontaneously—along various parts of the Western Front in December 1914.

On Christmas Eve, soldiers from opposing sides, primarily British and German troops, began to fraternize, singing carols, exchanging gifts like cigarettes and food, and even playing impromptu games of soccer. This unofficial ceasefire saw men emerging from their trenches to meet in “No Man's Land,” sharing moments of peace and humanity amidst the horrors of war.

Although the truce wasn’t universal and varied in duration, with some areas seeing brief moments of ceasefire while others lasted for days, it remains one of the most poignant examples of human solidarity—of the brotherhood of man—during wartime, showing that even in the darkest times, the spirit of Christmas, the sentiment of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” could momentarily halt the brutality of conflict between peoples.

Today, as our society, our brotherhood, exists threatened by ideologues who