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O Holy Night
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The Nativity,
Philippe de Champaigne 1643
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille, France |
Dear
Friends & Partners,
Perhaps one of the best
loved Christmas Carols is the “Cantique de Noël” (O Holy
Night), written by the French poet Placide Clappeau and
composer Adolphe-Charles Adam in 1847.
Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst
of the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly
jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the
seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in
his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the
heavens and sang, "Minuit, Chrétiens,
c'est l'heure solennelle ou L'Homme Dieu descendit
jusqu'a nous..."
Awestruck by this performance, the Germans did not fire
on the Frenchman and instead responded with their own
national Christmas institution, Martin Luther's "Vom
Himmel hoch" (From Heaven Above to Earth I Come). The
story goes that the fighting stopped for the next
twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed
an impromptu peace in honor of Christmas.
It is our prayer that the same peace which prevailed on
that Holy Night will fill your hearts and home this
holiday season. Thank you for your faithful support of
our ministry in France.
Yours
for France,
The Schoberts
Steve,
Kristin,
Steven II,
& Rachel
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www.theschoberts.org
