Winston Churchill: Christmas Message, 1941
by PubliusShortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, Churchill went to Washington with his chiefs of staff to meet President Roosevelt and the American military leaders and coordinate plans for the defeat of the common enemy. On Christmas Eve Churchill broadcast to the world from the White House on the 20th annual observation of the lighting of the community Christmas tree.
I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family, yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home. Whether it be the ties of blood on my mother’s side, or the friendships I have developed here over many years of active life, or the commanding sentiment of comradeship in the common cause of great peoples who speak the same language, who kneel at the same altars and, to a very large extent, pursue the same ideals, I cannot feel myself a stranger here in the centre and at the summit of the United States. I feel a sense of unity and fraternal association which, added to the kindliness of your welcome, convinces me that I have a right to sit at your fireside and share your Christmas joys.
This is a strange Christmas Eve. Almost the whole world is locked in deadly struggle, and, with the most terrible weapons which science can devise, the nations advance upon each other. Ill would it be for us this Christmastide if we were not sure that no greed for the land or wealth of any other people, no vulgar ambition, no morbid lust for material gain at the expense of others, had led us to the field.
Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands and seas, creeping nearer to our hearts and homes, here, amid all the tumult, we have tonight the peace of the spirit in each cottage home and in every generous heart. Therefore we may cast aside for this night at least the cares and dangers which beset us, and make for the children an evening of happiness in a world of storm. Here, then, for one night only, each home throughout the English-speaking world should be a brightly-lighted island of happiness and peace.
Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world.
And so, in God’s mercy, a happy Christmas to you all.
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33 Comments
Churchill is truly one of the great figures of history, not just Great Britain, but also of Western Civilization. As much as he was needed during the dark days of World War II, we could use him or someone like him right now.
We have transgressed so far down the toilet since the days of great men like Churchill…… Is there any more like him remaining, or has the left launched attack programs at all of them, so they have been silenced–?
Let us all pray for our country.
Pray that we will have a leader such as Churchill.
What did he say?
"Never, never, never, never give up."
Here's to the hope that the US and the world will find another Churchill. Is this the world's darkest hour? It seems like it is coming? Will great men finally step up to the plate??? For the sake of this country and its freedoms, I hope so. We have had great men lead us through the wilderness before such as Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Reagan. Though we may not agree with their politics, they provided what we needed – LEADERSHIP. What we need is someone is is dedicated to this country first and foremost and not to a political party. A leader that will truly bring all sides together for the common good and will defend US interests at home and abroad. On this Christmas 2011, let us offer the pray to God Almighty for such a man or woman. We are in the wilderness and we need to find the path out to the light. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all and to all a good and peaceful night!!!!!
Okay Leftist, I will gladly trade you "no war for oil" in exchange for "no war for welfare"…
Stop the war against me and my ability to live free and secure in my own earned property…
"Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands"
Yeah Winston. Hard to believe. We have become a nation living off EBT while fighting over $200 Air Jordans.
I wonder if you and Ben Franklin could have seen it coming. Considering you lived with Neville Chamberlain and Franklin lived with King George has anything really changed?
The world desperately needs another Churchill.
…Winston Ghurchill……..a righteous and stalwart statesman of great foresight…..makes us wonder where men and women of exceptional character are today,,,,,,,,,we certainly don't have them in our current "leaders."
It seems we are destined for more appeasement…….
We learn NOTHING from history.
Pray that we will have a leader such as Churchill…
…or Washington:
"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves."
He won all the respect you could earn as a plain-spoken man. One who could deliver. Today, they're all emasculated.
Churchill is like Reagan. ALmost everything he said on public occasions has relevance to today.
After reading this, I understand why Obama returned the bust of Churchill to Britain…couldn't have a representation of a man of character and fortitude hanging around party town. Real buzz-killer, that one. Thank you for printing this. Good history, wonderful perspective.
On the contrary. WE have learned, the idiots haven't.
Actually it was "Never give up. Never, never, never, never, never!"
That's because when the idiots read history and don't like what it says, they rewrite it, foolishly thinking it will change the outcome the next the same mistake is repeated.
Churchill was probably haunting him. As were all the photographs of Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, NIxon, and Ford.
They subscribe to the same hypothesis Red Kennedy had until the end-that socialism hasn't worked because it has never been tried here. We have been trying it for decades here, and surprise-it doesn't work.
But the statists have maneuvered us into the spot they wanted ; half the population living off of the other half. Being cut off from the gravy is going to be hard for them. And hard on us , but we will prevail.
Gravitas Personified.
The idiots are in charge…..
LOL, Silly GF, you know you can't make a real trade with the Devil don'cha?
;-]
Great leaders back up what they say…Remember!!!
Lord…on this Christmas day deliver us another Winston Churchill. Amen.
p.s. Winston Churchill: "We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
Yeah, but you women folk still intrigue me for some "reason"…
;-p',',',',
Funny how they seem to gravitate towards government work.
We are all Churchills, if we but answer the call to not only greatness but of goodness, as well. We are up against evils as vast as in his days, but we have yet to unite against them. We will, however, and an army of Churchills will awaken to find we no longer can or must sit idly by while bad people do bad things. This is one of the messages of Christmas, in fact: to shake off the apathy, passiveness and discouragement, but rise together and cast out those who darken our days.
And this is the guy whom Obama dissed. Where is Obama today? Playing a round of golf in Hawaii.
Yes, our socialist government is appeasing the Islamic crocodile hoping it will eat them last.
God did not just 'give' us a great leader in Churchill. Churchill was forged from 'common' reliable stock. He was not exceptional in any way in his youth and privileged upbringing. The foundational values of his culture equipped him for the intersection of ambition with the world events in his lifetime: Do not forget his costly failures like the Dardanelles and Dieppe. It was his failures that sharpened his focus on a vision of what is important. History is surely wonderful for us now to use as we examine this great man for both his successes and failures.
That is right. And he said it so well!
And the sad thing is, 20% of "British teenagers believe Sir Winston Churchill was a fictional character, while many think Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Eleanor Rigby were real, a survey shows."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1577511/Wi...
"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Winston Churchill had a core that was stable and solid. Tested by failure and success but built by a culture that was known for its faith. It wasn't perfect nor was he but the core of his life when tested showed. Today when tested the question isn't will our "leaders" show a similar core…many have a rotten core, but will you when tested have a core that when all is said and done to you still stand. Still stand and speak the truth in love, the truth in hope and be ready for responsibility no matter the cost.
“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer… Maybe some need to get off the train!
IF you want to know of another man of faith read my blog about Archbishop Warda of Iraq and his faith and our need! http://christianlythinkings.wordpress.com/
Happy Christmas – and thank you Publis for sharing with us today about Sir Winston Churchill.
He helped save Great Britain from facism only to have it fall to socialism less than a generation later. As O is rapidly doing to our country.
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