“I heard the bells on Christmas day, their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat, “Of peace on earth, good-will to men.”
These familiar words were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who had seen his share of ‘dark cloudy days’. He had suffered loss of his wife and the country had entered the Civil War, and on Dec. 1, 1863, he received news that his son had been seriously injured in the war – so on December 25, 1863 his feelings spilled out in this old Christmas hymn…and as we end our year, these age- old words seem ‘time-less.’
“And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men.”
Today, we understand this same ‘despair’ that was experienced so long ago, “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth’ I said, “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men.”
We see it, we know it in the depths of our beings, that ‘hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men’. Something happens, however, as one makes the choice to ‘hear the bells’!
Somehow God comforts and seems to answer unanswerable questions in the old hymns. The words ring like the old Church-bells did, and our pained hearts are quiet, so to have ears that are listening still: “And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along th’unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men.”
“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
Can you hear the bells this Christmas time? Do they have a sound that is loud and deep, ringing, “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!”
Perhaps your life and mine can be used this day of God ‘who’s not dead…’ to bring ‘peace on earth and goodwill to men’. “Till ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime,a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!”
“What is it we do, dear precious Lord that we be a ‘voice, a chime or a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good-will to men’? People are hurting, they are often alone. There is much pain and fear and anxiety here. Do we give them a hug, or pray on the spot? Does a wish of ‘God’s Blessing’ and smile say it all?” “Maybe we’re the one’s hurting, what is the healing there? Could it be in the giving that the hope is restored?”
“Open our ears, that we hear the bells so we can invite others to hear them as well, to lift up ourselves, and everyone else, above the asphalt each of us trod, so in each of our hearts we can fly, we can soar with the joy of the Lord like a young child again. And help us to watch them, the children that is, so filled with skip and hop and a song, … ’till ringing, singing on its way, the world revolves from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good -will to men!”
“Yes, Lord, fill us, Your children, with Your Spirit of love, so we may have ears this year to ‘hear the bells’.
And perhaps that as th’old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat, Of peace on earth, good-will to men.’We’re reminded good Lord, that through the ‘unbroken song’ that “…hope does not disappoint,…” never, no never,because God’s love never fails…the ‘love of God’ is our ‘ever-filling’ hope. So, ‘peel those bells more loud and deep “God is not dead, nor doth Her sleep!” We can rejoice in the Lord always, ringing and singing on our way, “Of peace on earth, good will to men!”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
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