During this glitzy festive time of year, even the tiniest gesture around us contributes to experiencing the holy spirit of goodness. When the dew drops on the greenery and spreads relief, the midday sun gets ready to serve gentle warmth to bring positive energy to the day. Then comes the chilly December night with cushy mufflements to wrap up the dozy day.
This season makes a simple smile from your meanest teacher or a cheery greeting from a stranger feel like a Christmas miracle. A Christmas miracle can also arrive with a spontaneous act of appreciation from your siblings. A tiny glimmer of hope that kindness still exists in this world can, too, be a Christmas miracle.
So, while you keep on spreading a little love and generosity around you, we wanted to share some of the most amazing real-life Christmas miracles ever witnessed!
Merry Christmas, and we hope to have made your day!
Miracle 1: “Ship of Miracles”
The “Ship of Miracle” — a feat recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship” is now, regretfully, largely forgotten. Yet it portrays one of the greatest instance of Christmas miracles.
SS Meredith Victory, a modestly-sized Merchant Marine ship was primarily built for cargo freight duties during World War I. But in the face of advancing Communists, as the crew felt a strong humanitarian calling to rescue thousands of refugees, the ship merrily managed to evacuate 14000 refugees using a vessel design. The ship that was originally equipped to carry 12 passengers and 47 officers and crew, not only surpassed its intended capacity but also steered through countless perils without a single life being at risk! The miracle voyage started on December 22 and ended on December 25, with all the refugees, including five babies born during the voyage, safely arriving on the island of Koje Do.
It was Captain LaRue’s gracious determination to offload nearly all his cargo to evacuate a staggering number of refugees against all odds that exemplified the true spirit of the season.
Source: http://www.shipofmiracles.com/
“I believe this story has not yet been told. Although it was but one droplet, I will always be grateful to the U.S. service members with such caring hearts, for giving Christmas presents to so many refugees in the middle of a devastating war. That humane decision allowed my grandmother to escape from North Korea.”
– Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in about the Ship of Miracles’ evacuation of Hungnam, North Korea, in the face of advancing communist forces during the Korean War.
Miracle 2: “ Christmas at the Moon”
Did you know that Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, Dec 24 1968?
The astronauts, Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders—sure thought this event to be a Christmas miracle, as they ended the live broadcast from Lunar Orbit with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis.
As it was determined that they would be circling the moon on the Christmas Eve, they decided to schedule a live television broadcast from Apollo 8 around that time. Roughly a billion people on Earth, joyfully listened and cherished that proud miracle moment on the silent night.
So when the small windows on the spaceship framed the Earth seemingly rising above the lunar horizon, despite this being a pre-anticipated moment, the view caught the crew off guard. With the message sent from Apollo 8, the beaming crew decided to share the bliss, the magnificent pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft, with the people on the other side of the broadcast waiting on planet earth.
You can actually find the broadcasted clip on youtube.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/apollo/apollo-8-christmas-at-the-moon/
“…And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on the good Earth.”
– Borman, Lovell, and Anders, the first humans to witness “Earthrise”, a Christmas miracle.
Miracle 3: “ The Christmas Truce”
If we are talking about Christmas spirit manifesting itself, we cannot go without mentioning the miraculous event unfolding in the battleground of world war I. Starting on the evening of December 24, 1914, as the night fell on Christmas Eve, the allied soldiers could not believe their ears as they heard over from the German truce what they believed was to be singing the carol “Silent Night” as they laid down their weapons and initiated a “holiday ceasefire”. The British centuries, not being sure about what to do, popped their heads over the side and then quickly jumped down in case their enemies shot, but to their surprise they did not!
Later, the night was followed by all the soldiers mingled together, sharing cigarettes and whiskeys, a pick-up soccer game and exchanging gifts with men they had been shooting at just few hours ago. The holiday spirit, however, was only lasted for the course of the night; the ceasefire was later called in order to recommence the battle.
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/christmas-truce-world-war-i
