I Heard The Bells

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to god in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:13- 14

One of America’s best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) contributed to the wealth of carols sung each Christmas.  One such carol is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”.

This carol was originally a poem based on Luke 2:14 which written during the American Civil War. When it was originally written it contained seven stanzas, containing reference to that conflict.

Christmas Bells

 

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!

 

And thought how, as the day had come

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of Peace on earth good-will to men!

 

Then from each black accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

 

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good – will to men!

 

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!:

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

“God is not dead, nor does he sleep!

The wrong shall fail,

The right prevail,

With peace on earth, good – will to men!”

 

When Longfellow composed the words of the poem in 1862, he was not enjoying much peace in his own life and the nation that he loved was torn apart by war. The year prior, in April, 1861, the Civil war broke out. In July of that year, he lost his wife through a fire in his home.  A year later, he received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blade, taking off one of the spinal processes. His son was crippled severely for life.

A couple of years ago Casting Crowns, one of my favourite musical groups, made this song very popular in their Christmas Album, “Peace On Earth”. When I first heard it, it immediately caught my attention and I listened to it over and over again.  As history reveals, this song was written during a period of great instability and despair, both in the author’s personal life and in the life of his beloved country.

On December 25, 1862, Longfellow wrote this in his journal:

Perhaps someday God will give me peace. A “Merry Christmas”, say the children, but that is not for me. Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted in me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance.

And when he received the word of his son that April he wrote:

Mine eye is consumed because of grief, it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble, mine eye is consumed.

Bells were a large part of the Christmas season in days past.  All the churches throughout the land would ring their bells marking the arrival of Christmas. Children would have bells to make noise during the Christmas Season. Bells were inexpensive musical instruments that people would take with them caroling and almost every family had one or more. Bells also provided a bright and cheery sound and were acceptable to parents as proper tools to celebrate and make noise at Christmas.

So bells were symbolic of joy and celebration.

This author heard the Christmas Bells all around him, proclaiming the joy of Christmas, the day we have marked to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.

I don’t know about you but I am struck by the irony of this song. But I can fully understand it because the verse of scripture we just read in Luke 2:14 has not been completely fulfilled.

Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.

Notice what it says - “On earth peace, good will toward men.”

Let me ask the following questions:

Has there been peace on earth since Jesus was born, and is there peace on earth now?

Absolutely not! Even Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars.

Is there good will towards men?

Absolutely yes! The goodwill that was offered towards men was the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, born a baby in a manger.

Then why is there no peace?

It’s simple! The good will was offered in the person of Jesus Christ, but the peace only comes when the Prince of Peace is accepted as the Lord and master of a person’s life.

Here’s the last stanza:

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!”

 

Despite what Longfellow went through: a war raging is his country, his wife burnt to death in a house fire and his son severely crippled in the war, the last 5 lines sum up the hope  deep within his heart.

I don’t know what you are going through this Christmas Season.

Like this man you could be facing an inner war or struggle. You could be facing family problems, loss of a loved one or financial problems.

Maybe your war is not as intense as the war that was raging on the inside of Longfellow, but a war just the same.

As we look out over the horizon of this world, and especially the Middle East, there is a real possibility that we could face a global conflict or something close to it in 2013. Just a few days ago we witnessed a terrible event that shook a nation and shocked the whole world. Many families in Newtown , Conn are enduring grief and pain beyond their capacity to endure and only God can sustain and keep their darkest hour.

The question we have to ask ourselves is this: with all that is happening around us, or in our own personal life, can we join with Longfellow in the chorus  of this song with conviction, courage and confidence.

God is not dead, nor does he sleep

The wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.

Why could this man write this? The answer is clear. He had already accepted the Prince of Peace into his heart.  When the good will was in short supply because of the war and his own personal circumstances, he still had confidence that wrong and injustice would fail and the right would prevail

The word of God says that “the just shall live by Faith.”

It doesn’t say we live by sight. It doesn’t say we live by feelings or emotions when circumstances are good or health is good and there’s money in the bank. It says “by faith”.

I’d like to quote Rod Parsley (pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio)- “Faith is not some mystical substance that is whirled around in cauldrons in the realm of the spirit and dumped out by angels. Faith is just good old- fashioned, hard working knowledge.”

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John5:4

 

Written By: Ed Andrews (brother)