On Christmas Eve in 1914 a remarkable thing happened in France. On the front lines of what was to become known as the “Great War,” the opposing sides, German and British, decided to honor their holy day by calling a truce. Men poured out of the trenches on both sides, left their rifles on the ground, and began to sing carols and meet each other in the space between.

“No man’s land” became a place of peace where hands could be clasped, backs patted, drinks shared, and all could celebrate the birth of Christ. Many said later that a miracle had truly happened that cold Christmas Eve.

I have come to believe that we Kansans, too, need a miracle this holiday season. This has been a contentious year in our state and the past few weeks have seen an increase in the violence, both verbal and, alas, physical, in what has become truly a “culture war.” Neighbor has turned against neighbor here in Lawrence and Douglas County. The letters to the editor column has been full of rage and vituperation; the blogs far worse.

We continue to make appearances in the national press, not because of some great discovery made at our university but because of the anger and violence of our disputes. A professor has been attacked on a dark road because of what he said. This is certainly a sad way to end a year.

I am a lawyer trained to believe that the best way to resolve disputes is by talking calmly and by listening closely, by using the persuasive arts to convince others of the worth of my position. I have seen very little calm discussion in recent weeks. People have been talking at each other, not to each other. There has been little discourse but a great deal of stridency. This is not the Kansas that I have grown to love over the past 12 years.

I am not a Christian, but I majored in religion at college. For four years I took courses about religions, including Christianity. I went on to write a master’s thesis on Christian Church history. While I am not a Christian, I do believe that it is an admirable religion. And one of the things I have always found most attractive about Christianity is its focus on love, forgiveness, and redemption.

What has happened to those central tenets of Christianity in this most recent battle over religion here in Lawrence? Has hate suddenly taken their place? I surely hope not. Can we not disagree without hatred and rancor? Can we not argue without rage and violence? Can we not love each other, even though our beliefs are vastly different? Can we not forgive even the worst of insults? I hope that we can. I believe that we must.

Perhaps it is fortunate that this latest battle in our culture wars has happened so close to Christmas. I propose that we take the lesson of the Christmas Truce of 1914 to heart. I propose that for the next two weeks there be an end to the hostilities in the culture wars. Let there be no more angry letters to the newspapers. Let there be no more acts of violence or vandalism.

Let us embrace each other in holiday spirit and see the good in our opponents Let there be no words of hatred but only of praise. Let us create a Christmas miracle, one that everyone regardless of religion or race or belief can share in.

If German and British soldiers in the trenches could lay down their arms and meet in peace in the midst of a real bloody war, can we Kansans not do the same in this culture war? I shall pray that we can and do. I wish you all peace this holiday season.