While early differences existed, the Christian East and West only began moving in truly different directions in the 11th century. Western reforms to make the priesthood more monastic—introducing clerical celibacy and papal infallibility—created practical divides that made the schism permanent.

After being nearly killed by a mob, Jesus' first followers were chosen not just for faith but for physical strength to act as a security detail. This pragmatic move ensured his survival, highlighting that launching a radical mission requires securing physical safety before ideological expansion can succeed.

Jesus' proposed revolution was entirely internal: a fight against greed, cruelty, and prejudice within each individual. He taught that by changing themselves, his followers would change the world. This focus on personal transformation over structural reform is a profound model for creating lasting cultural change.

For decades after WWI, the Christmas Truce was a minor historical footnote. It was resurrected in the 1960s by Joan Littlewood's anti-establishment play, "Oh, What a Lovely War," which framed the event as a powerful symbol of the war's futility and the humanity of ordinary soldiers.

Unlike the personal, lord-vassal ties defining Western European power, Byzantine society was built around a centralized, institutional emperor. Western visitors were awed by the grandeur but found the courtly protocols and lack of personal access to the emperor to be distant and arrogant.

A cuneiform tablet from 1700 BC, predating the Old Testament by a millennium, tells a nearly identical flood story. The Babylonian version attributes the flood to gods annoyed by human noise, whereas Judean authors later repurposed the narrative to be about a single God punishing humanity for its sins.

Jesus actively concealed his healings, preferring followers be persuaded by the logic and truth of his teachings rather than being swayed by supernatural displays. He detested being seen as a "holy magician," believing true faith is built on understanding, not spectacle, a key lesson for leaders building authentic movements.

In an era defined by tribalism, the idea of "love of mankind as a whole" was not a common concept. Jesus' teaching to love every person as a neighbor was a revolutionary act that transcended race, nation, and social class, making his message one of the first truly universalist philosophies.

Popular memory imagines a spontaneous, mutual halt to fighting. In reality, German troops began the truce by placing hundreds of candle-lit Christmas trees on their trench parapets and singing carols, prompting a curious and initially cautious response from the British.