DO YOU HEAR THE BELLS?

DO YOU HEAR THE BELLS?

 

We are in the midst of this beautiful Christmas season.  The tree is bright with lights, packages are mailed and hopefully soon Christmas cards speaking of this season will be mailed, along with our greetings of blessings to loved ones and friends.  The second Advent candle has been lit, and it was the Candle of Peace.

 

We so long for peace in our lives, our homes and especially in our world, as we look around and see wars and tragedy and lives of people in hopeless situations, as the world seems so dark with despair.  And we long for that day when Christ, the Prince of Peace, will appear again and bring hope and peace to this world.

 

As we celebrated Advent in our church this past Sunday, we sang an old hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”  I looked up the history of this hymn and it so spoke of our day also and our longing for peace on earth, and yes, the bells can ring again in our hearts as we turn our focus on our Savior and the Cross in this Christmas season.  He will bring joy and gladness to our aching hearts, all because He came.  He came to cause those bells of joy to ring again.

 

Christmas Day 1863 was not a day of “peace on earth, good will to men” in the United States.  The bloody Civil War was being waged.  At Gettysburg, only six months earlier, forty thousand men were killed, wounded, or missing.  The long siege of Vicksburg resulted in thirty thousand Confederate soldiers being taken as prisoners.  And there was no end in sight.

 

No wonder Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “bowed his head” in despair and said, “There is no peace on earth.”  The entire country, both North and South was bowed in despair.  But there was something about Christmas that helped Longfellow see beyond the carnage of the present and realize that God is not dead and that right would prevail.

 

The birth of Jesus Christ brings hope.  Christmas doesn’t mean that all problems disappear, but it does assure you that God is not dead, nor does He sleep.  Even the darkness of Good Friday is followed by the dawn of Easter.  Yes, the bells of Christmas are still ringing, singing on their way.  (Hymns by Petersen)

 

I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

 

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.

 

I 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.

 

 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.”

 

Yet 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.”

 

The ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day – a voice, a chime, a chant sublime of peace on earth, good will to men.  (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-1807-1882)

When this song was written, when Christmas Day came the bells on the churches would ring out the news with carols.  Many of the churches had steeples and the bells chimed.  I can only imagine what that would sound like.  The air is cold, maybe snow is coming down, and that special feeling of Christmas is in the air.  I feel that awed feeling even now on Christmas Eve.  There is a holy hush in the air. 

 

So on that Christmas the bells must have continued to chime even though the nation was in deep despair, as the war continued and many families were in grief and many more lives were to be lost before the war ended.  Henry Wadsworth heard those bells and his heart was broken as he didn’t see any peace on earth, only death and dying men, a nation at war with one another.  The bells continued to chime that there was hope on earth of “peace, good will to men.”

 

We look around our world as in Henry Wadsworth’s day and wonder where is that peace that the angels promised on that first Christmas morning?  And then we have the promise and know that God is not dead nor does He sleep.  He is aware of our broken hearts, our troubled souls, and the storms that come into our lives.  As we look at troubled headlines in the news, hear the reports of violence in our land and around the world, our God is watching and waiting for the day when He Himself will finally bring “peace on earth, good will to men.”

 

Henry Wadsworth suddenly realized that his God was not dead and not sleeping and that someday, evil will be gone and righteousness will come to this earth through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are waiting for that day, that 2^nd Advent of our Lord when He breaks the sky and does right the wrong and the bells will once again ring out “peace on earth, good will to men.”

 

And can you imagine what that day will be like, the ringing of bells, the singing of the saints, night of darkness is gone and eternal day has come? The angels once again can sing of “peace on earth, good will to men.”

 

So in this Christmas season, let the joy ring in your heart, hear the bells ringing peace on earth, and have a glorious Christmas Day in God’s peace.

 

Pastor Sharon