(We have been working our way through the Christmas Story in Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1. Mary and Joseph have been visited by angels, endured very challenging circumstances, and finally watched the birth of the God of the Universe in a shelter for animals, before being visited by local shepherds who praised the baby. But then the story took a darker turn and God sent them to Egypt to escape King Herod’s Slaughter of the Innocents. While they escaped to Egypt, the suffering, pain, and sorrow left in Bethlehem was real and excruciating.)
Several years ago, when I was first asked to do a program for a women’s Christmas Tea, I came across the story of a poem – now a Christmas carol – written by the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This poem, originally entitled “Christmas Bells,” was written Christmas day, 1863 in the middle of the American Civil War, and after Longfellow’s cherished wife had died and he’d received news his son was injured in battle. In the midst of all that grief, he wrote,
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!
Under Longfellow’s circumstances, we could understand if the poem’s words were very gloomy, indeed. Yet, each subsequent verse ends with those encouraging words “Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
As you know, the Christmas season is not all happiness and smiles for everyone. In any group of people, there are some who are hurting greatly and struggling with grief, divorce, life changes, medical issues, or a plethora of other painful things. Hope can seem swallowed up by despair. Maybe you or someone you know is struggling this season or maybe as you look at this world Longfellow’s words resonate with you:
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!”
If that were where the song ended, we’d be left in a Good Friday of sorts – darkness, despair, hopelessness.
The first Disciples who watched Jesus die on the cross and be buried in the tomb had to have been filled with that same darkness, despair, and hopelessness of Longfellow – and of many people today. But the disciples’ story doesn’t end there. On the first Easter morning, the Disciples found an empty tomb – and a Risen Savior! Jesus’s Resurrection gave them hope and joy and peace.
Perhaps this last verse of Longfellow’s poem can give the hurting of our day a bit of Light and Hope:
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.”
The enemy of our souls wants us in chaos – in despair – in hopelessness. But God wants us to be in love, joy, and peace. The darkness Longfellow saw was real – just as the darkness we see today is real. But the darkness is not God! God is light. John the Apostle tells us, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 NIV). No darkness. No chaos or evil, only light. Only hope. Only peace. That’s why Longfellow was able to proclaim that God is not dead or sleeping, and that the wrong shall fail and the right prevail. The dark shall fail and the Light shall prevail. God’s Word gives us this hope.
And that’s why the angels that announced Jesus’s birth to the nearby shepherds also announced peace. They said “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14 NIV). This isn’t the cheap “no war” peace the world offers, but God’s shalom – a deep, God-centered peace that includes harmony, wholeness, prosperity, and tranquility.
God of Light,
In this world that seems so strangled by darkness, chaos, despair, hopelessness, suffering, and death, we need your LIGHT. Come, Lord Jesus and Light of the World, as our Savior, Friend, and Hope. Let us proclaim your hope, peace, love, joy and goodwill to the world. Glory to you, our God! May your Shalom Peace be poured out on the earth and may all men and women know your Love and Grace. We ask in Christ’s name, Amen.
(By the way, there is a new movie out about this episode in Longfellow’s life. I have not seen it yet, but hope to. For more information check out: https://www.iheardthebellsmovie.com.)