(air whooshes)

- [George] This week on"Christian World News,"

a silent night in Bethlehem.

COVID shuts down Christmas parades

in the town where Jesus was born.

Tourists aren't coming to the Holy Land.

Meet the people who arebringing the Holy Land to them.

(air whooshes)

- [Wendy] Plus, a rare cosmic event

lights up the sky this holiday season.

Is it the Christmas Star?

We ask the experts.

- And a legendary Christmas celebration.

How soldiers in World WarI lay down their weapons

and gave away to the spirit of peace.

(urgent music)

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to this week's editionof "Christian World News."

I'm George Thomas, and from all of us here

at the headquarters of theChristian Broadcasting Network,

Merry Christmas.

- You are definitelyin the holiday spirit,

my friend.- I am!

I am wearing my red tie.

- (laughs) All right.

Well, in a few days, as you know,

Christians around the world

will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

- As our colleague ChrisMitchell reports from Jerusalem,

it is a very different Christmas season

in the place where it all beganmore than 2,000 years ago.

Take a look.

- Normally at this time of year

at Manger Square, herein the heart of Bethlehem

and next to the Church of the Nativity,

would be filled with touristsand Christian pilgrims.

But in the town whereJesus Christ was born,

it's much differentduring the year of COVID.

- Well, there's gonna be no celebrations.

There can be no, the 24th, the normal year

that you have coveredevery year, the parades,

and Boy Scouts, and music inthe streets and everything.

- [Chris] Bethlehem this year

is a tourist town without tourists.

- Since COVID started in March,

the tourists go out from Bethlehem.

Until now we don't see any other tourists.

The situation here is verysad, no tourists at all.

People are sitting at home,waiting to open a new page

when this disaster will be finished.

(saw whirs)

- [Chris] Christian artisans here

in the Bethlehem Star Olive Wood Factory

have certainly felt the impact.

- I am suffering here, and also,

in my factory, you see here that I have

here 14, 15 people whoworks in my factory.

I did not send any of mypeople home. I left them here.

All of them are working in the factory,

just at least to get someincome at the end of the week.

- [Chris] That's where Artza Box comes in,

a Jewish company designed to bring

the Holy Land to Christiansin North America.

- Israel has such strong significance

to so many people of somany different faiths.

But about 95% of Christiansin North America,

for example, never actuallymake it over into Israel.

And we spend our liveslearning the Old Testament,

the New Testament, and allthe stories, and the people,

and the characters, andalso the life of Jesus,

and you have no way to actuallybring these stories to life.

- [Chris] An Artza Boxsubscription provides gifts

from the Holy Land four times a year,

made locally by folks like Jamil Hosh.

Last quarter featured Nazareth,and this quarter, Bethlehem.

It's their way of bringingthe Bible to life.

- That, coupled with COVID,which hit earlier this year,

and all these smallbusinesses and artisans

are really suffering 'causethey really rely on tourism.

So we decided to createArtza, which delivers

the experience of Israel to your doorstep

and takes on a journey through the land,

and at the same time, we help support

all these small businesses and artisans

and these incredibly talented people,

especially now, whentourism isn't coming here.

- [Chris] That includes JamilHosh, his family, and factory.

- Artza, I make two big orders, and now

we are selling my productsin the United States.

They help me a lot.

Maybe I work about six or seven weeks

in summertime to Artza orders.

It was very helpful.

And it's still in the beginning.

I am expecting next yearthere will be more orders

from Artza and to work with more items.

- [Chris] In Jerusalem, justa few miles from Bethlehem,

COVID also hit Christian businesses.

Many of these alleys wouldbe filled with tourists,

but now, many of these shopsin the Christian Quarter

of the Old City are shuttered and closed.

- Local business went down to zero,

just like all at one day, boom.

It has been very difficult,and I have many people

who also work with me in this business,

and it has been very difficult for them.

- [Chris] Zak Mishrikyis a third-generation

Christian shopkeeper inJerusalem's Old City.

- Since COVID started, I had a challenge,

you know, what is next?

As soon as COVID started,I started investing online.

I sell many Christianitems that was produced

here in Jerusalem to bless the whole world

and make them closer to God.

- [Chris] From olive wood Nativity sets

to coins from the time ofJesus and anointing oil,

Mishriky offers a widerange of Christmas gifts.

He feels it's important forChristians around the world

to support their brothersand sisters in the Holy Land.

- Christians in the Middle East,

and especially in the Holy Land,

now we're only 1% of the population here,

and supporting them issupporting the the Holy Land.

Supporting them is supportingthe existence of Christ here.

- [Chris] Schimmel sees hisefforts through Artza Box

as a way to fulfill the Jewish concept

of (speaking in foreignlanguage), healing the world.

- We're not just here to help Jews,

we're here to connect and help everyone

in the world, regardless of their faith.

You know, that's a very Jewish value

which I think is very important.

And secondly, the Christian support

for Israel and the connection to Israel

is just overwhelming and incredible.

So if there's a way, on a personal level,

to be able to give back to that,

then I think that'svery important as well.

- [Chris] Both Artza Boxand Zak's online store

want to provide a meaningful Christmas.

- Buying gifts that hasmeaning and are made

by Christians in the Holy Land,

and it really supportsfamilies in the land.

We want to bless them back.

- We really hope that it brings people

a lot of Christmas joy,and, you know, to celebrate

your Christmas with Christmas ornaments

from Bethlehem, madefrom olive wood as well,

and from all these beautifulproducts from the area

which is the story of Christmas,

we think people really enjoy,and we hope people really do.

- [Chris] Chris Mitchell, CBN News,

Manger Square, Bethlehem.

- Yeah, truly a verydifferent time we're living in

these days.- Oh, yeah.

- Okay, folks, mark yourcalendars for December 21st.

A rare cosmic event willlight up the night sky.

Some are calling it the Christmas Star.

- But, George, experts say, not so fast.

Here's the rest of the story.

December 21st is the winter solstice,

the darkest night of the year.

And in 2020, Saturn and Jupiter,

the two largest planetsin our solar system,

will nearly kiss, theclosest the two planets

have aligned in 800 years.

The phenomenon has many talking,and even singing, about it.

♪ And the Christmas Star appears ♪

♪ First time in 800 years ♪

♪ You'll see it next Monday night ♪

♪ Yeah, that's the bright side ♪

No, seriously, Jupiter and Saturn

are gonna align by lessthan a 10th of a degree

in the night sky on December 21st.

Last time it happened was March 4th, 1226.

It's the Christmas Star.

- [Wendy] Star of Bethlehemexpert Rick Larson says

while that's true, you'dhave to go all the way

back to the Middle Ages tosee a closer convergence.

It's not going to resemblethe Christmas Star

that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus.

- What's happening on December 21 simply,

as beautiful as it is, it isnot the Star of Bethlehem.

The Star of Bethlehem is aconjunction of Jupiter and Venus.

The conjunction, which justmeans a coming together,

visually, was so closethat they basically stack

like a figure eight, andso they didn't obscure

one another's brightness, and the result

was the brightest staranyone alive had ever seen.

- The Bible speaks of the star

the Wise Men saw in Matthew, Chapter 2.

"And lo, the star, whichthey saw in the east,

went before them, till it came and stood

over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced

with exceeding great joy."

Many Christians believethe Star of Bethlehem

was a miraculous sign tomark the birth of Jesus.

And while the 2020 starmay not be as bright,

the fact that such a rare cosmic event

is happening so close to Christmas,

in a year like 2020, isgiving many hope that the God

of miracles is still shiningHis light from above.

So, you gonna be out there stargazing?

- I think I am!

- Look, you're mesmerized,you are mesmerized.

Look, he's like...

- I know!

- You couldn't get enough of that.

- So, when's the besttime to see the Star?

- Right after dusk, and in the, oh,

so (claps) to see the Star,

for those in the Northern Hemisphere,

will be about 45 minutesafter sunset on December 21st.

However, you should beable to see it right now

as the two planets aregetting closer together.

And you don't wanna miss it, George,

because the next time thisphenomenon will occur?

Sometime around 2080.

- Yeah, I'm not gonna be there.

- (laughing) I don't think

we'll make it.- No, absolutely.

Well, folks, up next,

a classic Christmas story.(air whooshes)

How the spirit of peacemoved the enemy soldiers

to lay down theirweapons and join together

in worship in the middle of a war zone.

That story in a moment.

- These are times of warfare.

You go into the strong towerwhen you're under attack.

- [Announcer] CBN presents"The Name of God,"

the latest teaching by Gordon Robertson.

- God has given you theright to carry His name.

That is life changing.

- [Announcer] Discover thepeace, healing, provision,

and protection that can be foundin the Lord's name, plus...

- You're going to see sometremendous real-life stories

of people who have seen firsthand

what trusting in the name of God can do.

- The thought of losing Noahwas one of the most terrifying

things I've ever walked through.

- I could hear my house being shredded,

and I heard my wifescreaming over the phone.

- I knew that God didn't lie to me.

I knew that God didn't forget about me.

- This is God's promise, this is the way,

this is the answer.

Go into that strong tower.

- [Announcer] Get your DVD copyof "The Name of God" today.

Call now or go to CBN.com.

- [Announcer] Nutrition, exercise,

essential oils, weight loss, and more.

It's "Healthy Living" with Lorie Johnson.

- Talk about what's in this.

- [Announcer] Join CBN health reporter

Lorie Johnson to getthe latest information

from today's top health experts.

(air whooshes)- This is fantastic.

- [Announcer] Find outwhat you need to know

to live a healthier life.

Watch "Healthy Living,"Tuesday night at 9:30.

- [Announcer] As the worldwatches from the outside.

(video chirps)- It's a big diplomatic

tug-of-war here in the Middle East.

- [Announcer] Go inside thestory with "Jerusalem Dateline."

- Israeli archeologists aretalking about a discovery

that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.

- [Announcer] Join CBN Jerusalem

Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell,

(video chirps)and get the biblical

perspective on theevents shaping the world.

- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.

- [Announcer] Watch "Jerusalem Dateline,"

Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.

- Welcome back.

Well, in the classic novel "AllQuiet on the Western Front,"

German author and veteran Erich Maria,

how do you say that, George?

- Remarque.

- Remarque?- Yeah.

- That's what I was gonna say,

wrote of war causing the "annihilation

of all human feeling."

- The horrors of World WarI led to that conclusion,

yet from that very same conflict

came a legendary Christmas celebration

that shows the amazing depth of humanity.

John Jessup reports.

- [Andrew] To the glory of God-

- Each year, Andrew Hamilton lays a wreath

at the World War I monumentin his small English village,

a tribute to thegrandfather he barely knew.

What do you remember of him?

- I just remember an oldman who shouted a lot

because he was deaf, andhe'd lost his hearing,

really, during the First World War,

so he was really quite frightening.

And then, when I read hisdiaries, I was amazed,

I supposed, at the lifethat he'd been involved in.

- [John] As Hamilton writes in his book

"Meet at Dawn, Unarmed," his grandfather,

Captain Robert Hamilton, keptdiaries from 1913 to 1950.

Most years were fairly mundane,

with one remarkable exception, 1914.

- "Wednesday, the 5th of August.

Wire to mobilize at 5:30 a.m."

- [John] Hamilton waspart of the initial wave

of British troops in what came to be known

as the First World War.

The general consensus at the time

was the fighting wouldbe over by Christmas.

(bombs whistle and explode)

Just one day earlier, Germantroops had invaded Belgium,

and then, England joined the fight.

Caught in the middle? Thetiny country of Belgium.

- This very provincial,rural area of Belgium

was almost at the centerof the world attention.

I grew up listening tostories of elderly people

in my village that had to do with the war.

- [John] German troopscut a path of destruction

through Belgium into France.

Allied forces stoppedthem outside of Paris,

pushing them back, but only so far.

A stalemate ensued, with bothsides digging in, literally.

(guns fire)

- "September the 18th.

Several men killed and wounded

in the trenches by shell fire.

This was, without exception,

the most miserable night ever spent.

I stood all night inwater up to my ankles,

and the rain pouring down."

- This is one of the original trenches

from more than a hundred years ago,

two parallel zigzagging lines built

by the German and Allied forces,

stretching more than 450 miles.

In some places, the opposing armies

were only 50 yards apart.

- Both parties have dug in,and the cold is coming in,

and so, all of a sudden, the first enemy

is not your opponent to the other side

of the No Man's Land, but it's the cold.

- [John] By the end of November,

there were over one and a half million

casualties on the Western Front.

As the stalematecontinued, it became clear

the war would not be over by Christmas.

The outside world pushed foran official Christmas truce,

including Pope Benedict IV,who asked "that the guns

may fall silent at least uponthe night the angels sang."

British General HoraceSmith-Dorrien, however,

issued a directiveforbidding fraternization,

saying it "destroys theoffensive spirit in all ranks."

- "December the 24th.

We marched up to our trenches,a little down-hearted

to spend Christmas Day in them."

- [John] Artist Bruce Bairnsfatherwas a machine gun officer

in Captain Hamilton's RoyalWarwickshire Regiment.

He recounted his war experiences

in the book "Bullets & Billets."

- [Bruce] I rememberat the time being very

down on my luck about this, as everything

in the nature of Christmas Day festivities

was obviously knocked on the head.

- [John] But the Germans didn't let war

stop their celebration.

They displayed Christmastrees in their trenches,

and on December 23rd held a church service

in a bombed-out sugar refinery.

Schoolteacher Kurt Zehmisch served

in the 134th Saxon Regiment.

Like Hamilton, he kepta diary during the war.

- [Kurt] We sang the song

"This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made."

The celebration moved many to tears.

I ordered my men that on Christmas Eve

and on Christmas Day noshots were to be fired

from our side if it could be avoided.

- [John] Then, somethingextraordinary happened.

- [Kurt] No sooner had wesettled into the trenches,

we, and the Brits, tried todraw attention to each other."

♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night ♪

- [Bruce] The spirit of Christmasbegan to permeate us all,

and we tried to plotways and means of making

the next day, Christmas,different in some way to others.

(singing "Silent Night"in foreign language)

- [Kurt] An Englishmancalled over to our trenches,

"I wish you a merry Christmasand a happy New Year,"

to which I replied tohim and his comrades,

"Thank you very much. Iwish the same to you."

- [Bruce] After months ofvindictive sniping and shelling,

this little episode cameas an invigorating tonic,

and a welcome relief to thedaily monotony of antagonism.

On Christmas morning I awoke very early.

It was a perfect day. Abeautiful, cloudless day.

- "December the 25th.

A day unique in the world's history.

I met their officer, and we arranged

a local armistice for 48 hours.

As far as I can gather,this effort of ours

extended itself throughout the whole line,

as far as we could hear."

- [Kurt] So started theChristmas celebration,

the celebration of love, when enemies

became friends for a short time.

- [Bruce] Here they were, theactual, practical soldiers

of the German army.

There was not an atom ofhate on either side that day.

- [John] Although fighting continued

on most of the WesternFront, the unauthorized truce

extended along virtually all

the 27-mile length of the British line.

Both sides helped bury their dead,

they exchanged gifts, like food, tobacco,

and buttons, and in some sectors,

they even played soccer in No Man's Land.

- It makes them happy,because they feel human again,

whereas the industrialwarfare often reduces them

to cannon fodder, often reducesthem to killing machines.

- [Kurt] This was all sobeautiful, yet strange.

I will never forget thisChristmas celebration.

- [Bruce] The last I sawof this little affair

was a vision of one of my machine gunners,

who was a bit of an amateurhairdresser in civil life,

cutting the unnaturally longhair of a docile German.

- [Andrew] "A very merry Christmas,

and a most extraordinary one,

but I doubled thesentries after midnight. "

- There would be three moreChristmases on the Western Front

before the war came to an end, but nothing

quite like this would ever happen again.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle later described it

as "one human episodeamid all the atrocities

which have stained the memory of the war."

John Jessup, CBN News,reporting in Flanders, Belgium.

- [Wendy] Phenomenalstory, John, thank you.

Up next, now, more than ever,'tis the season to give back,

and did you know there's an app for that?

Learn all about it after this.

- [Announcer] From Washington, D.C.,

uncompromising stories, interviews,

and analysis from veteran journalists.

David Brody.

- That could be the next stepin this escalating fight.

- [Announcer] Jenna Browder.

- Robert Mueller chosehis words carefully.

- [Announcer] Ben Kennedy.

- He's asking Christiansto get the word out.

- [Announcer] Bringing you thepolitical news that matters.

- Get out and tell thestory of the progress

that we're making in this country.

- [Announcer] Watch "Faith Nation,"

weeknights at 6 on the CBN News Channel.

- Orphan's Promise is committed

to loving and serving at-risk children,

to helping keep families together,

and to creating opportunities

for strong and sustainablecommunities around the world.

We're working in over 60countries around the world,

and with your help, we can do even more.

There's an old Africanproverb I love that says,

"If you wanna run fast, run alone.

But if you wanna run far, run together."

At Orphan's Promise, we want to run far,

so we can touch the lives of as many

orphaned and vulnerablechildren as possible.

But we don't wanna go alone.

We are out to change the world,

one child, one family,one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(inspiring music builds)

(air whooshes)

(chimes twinkle)(children laugh)

- [Announcer] "The Name of God,"

a new teaching from Gordon Robertson.

- The name of the Lord is a strong tower.

- [Announcer] Gain important insights

into the protection availableto you in "The Name of God."

Discover how God is ourhealer, our provider,

and the one who gives us peace.

Plus, see exciting true stories

of God's providence inthe lives of real people.

- You get the answer to everything,

and that answer will never leave you.

- [Announcer] "The Nameof God," available now.

- Welcome back to the broadcast.

With a hurting economy, this Christmas

is far from merry formillions of Americans.

- Yeah, so, in this season of giving,

what are volunteers doing to help?

Here's CBN's Jenna Browder with one idea

that's being supportedby big-name celebrities.

- Giving back has never beeneasier, thanks to a new app

that connects volunteerswith nonprofit organizations.

What's more, there's a wholelist of A-listers behind it.

Joe Theismann, Evander Holyfield,

Dionne Warwick, and Buzz Aldrin.

Just a few names leading the charge

for the Global Service Instituteand its Global Service app.

- The timing could not bemore important right now,

given what's happening in theworld because of the pandemic.

There are so many charities,there are so many nonprofits

that are in absolute dire need,

that are in economicdevastation, and really need

volunteers, need peopleto serve, more than ever.

- [Jenna] At the helm,broadcaster Rita Cosby

of "Inside Edition," andformerly Fox News and MSNBC.

- It is a free app, and we wanted it

to be a free service toall, and what it does

is it instantly connectsvolunteers with organizations

that are in dire need right now.

- [Jenna] In the app, youcan search by organization,

or just see what'sneeded in your community.

Each event will describethe work you'll be doing,

along with a direct link for you

to sign up and get involved.

And that's just one piece of the pie.

Cosby says they formed theGlobal Service Institute

at Long Island University to teach this

and future generationsthe value of service.

And it's something close to her heart.

- My father was a prisonerof war in World War II,

was a Polish resistance fighter.

He was part of the Warsaw Uprising.

And my father escapedfrom a Nazi POW camp,

and was 90 pounds and six feet tall,

and came to a riverbed and wasrescued by American troops,

and that's why he cameto this great country.

So my whole life, from when I was born,

I was always taughtthese incredible values

of giving back andappreciating those of service.

- [Jenna] As a Christian, Cosbypoints to Deuteronomy 26:11.

- You know, be thankful for what you have.

God wants us to bethankful for what we have

and to give back to others.

And this is such an important time,

especially this holiday season,

where we have to be so thankful

for what we have in our lives, our family,

our friends, the greatvalues that we have,

and if we can pass thaton, and also, tangibly,

also pass on not just the values,

but also a little bit of our time,

what a wonderful way to be able

to give back this holiday season.

- The app is very easy to use,

and if you wanna volunteer this year,

but not go in person because of COVID-19,

the app includes opportunitiesto help out virtually.

Jenna Browder, CBN News.

- [Shawn] It's about the competition.

- I kinda put that pressure on myself,

and I think people had expectations.

- [Shawn] It's about overcoming.

- We use this phrase all the time,

keep chopping, keep practicing hard.

- [Shawn] It's about going the distance.

- You know, I think as a father,

it's my job to lead, just be the best

husband and father I can be.

- [Shawn] Watch "Going theDistance with Shawn Brown,"

Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.

(intense hip-hop music)

- [Efrem] I'm Efrem Graham,and this is "Studio 5."

Cruise with me as Idiscover the good things

happening in the world of music,

sports, television, and movies.

- The fact that Ryan Coogler was

gonna be directing the film, I knew

that something special was gonna happen.

- [Efrem] We'll chat withartists at the forefront

of entertainment, andexplore the connection

between popular culture and faith.

- I asked my pastor, Isaid, "Well, does that mean

I'm supposed to be a preacher?"

He says, "Well, no, youalready have a pulpit."

- [Announcer] Watch "Studio5," Wednesday night at 9:30.

- [Announcer] "Some trust inchariots, some trust in horses,

but we will trust in thename of the Lord our God."

CBN presents "The Name of God."

Jehovah Shalom.- The Lord is our peace.

- Jehovah Jireh.- The Lord will provide.

- Jehovah Shammah.- The Lord is there.

- Jehovah Rapha.- The Lord who heals.

- Jehovah Tsidkenu.- The Lord our righteousness.

- [Announcer] You'll be encouraged

by Gordon Robertson'steaching on "The Name of God."

- God has given you theright to carry His name.

- [Announcer] Plus, you'llsee exciting true stories

of God's providence inthe lives of real people.

- I could hear my house being shredded,

and I heard my wife screaming.

- I knew something wasseriously wrong with him,

and it was worse than we had thought.

- [Announcer] Become a CBN Partner

and get your copy of "The Name of God."

Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

- Welcome back.

The Abraham Accords continueto break new barriers.

- As Chris Mitchellreports from Jerusalem,

one of the latest developments took place

during the Jewish Festivalof Lights, Hanukkah.

- [Chris] In a sceneonce thought impossible,

a delegation from Bahrainand the United Arab Emirates

came to Jerusalem thisweek and helped light

the Hanukkah candles atJerusalem's Western Wall.

- It's my first time in Israel,

and I believe it's a historictime to be in Israel.

An amazing place, a great nation,

and the most important thing is a lot

of lovely people who want peace.

- [Chris] Both countriesrecently normalized

relations with Israel in what's become

known as the Abraham Accords,

brokered by the Trump administration.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin

welcomed the delegation to his home.

- [Reuven] Such a pleasure.

When we are talking aboutpeace, it's people to people.

- [Chris] The delegation,which included businesspeople,

academics, and bloggers, ispart of the Sharaka Project,

a unified effort from the three countries

to grow relationships between young people

in Israel and these Arab states.

Sharaka is an Arabic word for cooperation.

- [Reuven] God bless all ofyou, and welcome, welcome.

- It's a new era, andwe're so happy for it.

- [Reuven] And let's look forward.

- Yes.- In fact, it will be

the bridge to bring thelove and understanding

between all the people in the region.

- [Chris] The Abraham Accords help unify

the Arab states and Israelagainst their common enemy, Iran.

They also challengeconventional wisdom that peace

would only be possible after resolving

the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The next major developmentcould be a visit

by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin

and Prime Minister Netanyahuto the UAE and Bahrain.

Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem.

- Thank you, Chris.

Again, from all of us hereat "Christian World News,"

a merry, merry Christmas

to everyone.- Yes, merry Christmas.

Until next week, goodbye,and God bless you.

And once again...

- Merry Christmas.

- (chuckles) Merry Christmas.

(urgent music)