A Christmas message during a pandemic
Today I want to tell two stories. Both are true. Both speak of the hope and life-giving love that are the essence of Advent and Christmas. The first is a war story, not of the war against the COVID-19 virus but World War II. Captain Edward Beach, U.S. Navy, was a genuine hero. He commanded the first submarine to circumnavigate the globe while submerged and authored the best-selling Run Silent, Run Deep , [1] During World War II, submarines in which he was serving damaged or sank 45 enemy ships. The war’s conclusion found Captain Beach in command of the USS PIPER, underway in the East China Sea. There, just as they were entering Japanese waters, he received this message from his wife: Daughter was born August 10th X Both well X Congratulations. [2] In his words, “The war had come to an end, and life, for some of us, was beginning.” [3] “The war had come to an end, and life, for some of us, was beginning.” That captures Christianity’s essence. In the midst of this pandemic that