Hearing the Bells of Christmas reminds us of the joyful birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! As they ring out in celebration for this wonderful time of year, may they also remind us that God reigns over all, including the details of our lives.
Hearing the Bells of Christmas
The Christmas season brings back many memories from our past. We remember good times with loved ones, fun family trips and generous blessings. Yet other remembrances that come to mind can cause us sadness. We think of the holidays past spend with loved ones now gone on to Heaven, or we remember when our children were little and now they may be moved across the country or around the world.
Whether it’s past disappointments or present struggles that cause us to feel discouraged, we must remind ourselves that regardless of our situation in this life, God is in control. Many Christian brothers and sisters before us have also dealt with circumstances that were anything but joyful around Christmas time.
Such a fellow believer was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A well renowned, successful poet and novelist, he knew his share of success, yet also faced great heartache. His first wife died in the early years of their marriage following the loss of a baby. In 1861, Henry’s life was filled with sorrow yet again at the tragic death of his second wife in an accidental house fire. That same year, the Civil War broke out, and it seemed an additional punishment when his young son secretly enlisted in the Union Army. Around that time Henry began to experience severe health issues that almost took his life. Two years later, Longfellow was again saddened to learn that his son had been seriously wounded in the Army of the Potomac.
He felt such despair and discouragement in the circumstances of his life, often wondering if God was aware and present in his sufferings. Sitting down to his desk, on Christmas Day in 1863, he heard the church bells joyfully ringing. It was in this setting that Longfellow wrote these lines:
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!
Till, 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!
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 doth he sleep!
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!”
This Christmas season, may we each remember that our God is not dead and He is not asleep. Friends, our Heavenly Father watches over each of us and whatever our circumstance, may we remember that He is right beside us! For now, it may be difficult, but one day, when we see Him face to face, everything will be made right. Throughout the centuries of time, the chime of the bells reminds us that all is well and our God still reigns on His throne. Listen…can you hear the bells of Christmas still ringing?