Do You Hear the Bells?

Do you hear the bells?  If not, there is a lot of distracting noise.  You have to REALLY listen.  There is an on-going, never-ending cacophony that will drown them out if you let them.  There is talk of a dark winter of illness and death due to a new variant.  There are threats of joblessness, supply chain issues and inflationary concerns.  We seem to be a people greatly divided on a number of issues.  Fear and hopelessness seems to be a new pandemic.  Don't catch it!  You can still hear the bells if you stop and listen.

We sang the Christmas carol in our hymnals on Sunday entitled, "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day."  It's always been to me one of the most melancholy carols of all.  There is a reason for this.  The hymn is from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written on Christmas Day in 1863.  Longfellow also wrote the epic poem "Evangeline" about the Cajun dispersion which holds local significance.  There's a story behind the "I heard the Bells" carol that needs to be told.  

It was written during the Civil War.  It had been a rough couple years for Longfellow.  His wife of 18 years died in a house fire.  Then his oldest son joined the Union Army without his blessing and was severely injured the the Battle of Mine Run.  Longfellow was looking out of his window, hearing Christmas Bells being rung from a nearby church.  He was depressed by his situation as well as the death and division that plagued the land.  For many people, the Christmas holidays can be a very sad time.

Here are the lyrics: (I highlighted some critical lyrics) 

1. I heard the bells on Christmas day
   Their old familiar carols play;
   In music sweet the tones repeat,
   “There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
2. 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.
3. 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.”
4. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
   “God is not dead, nor does He sleep,
   For Christ is here; His Spirit near
   Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”
5. Those are some very meaningful words, cathartic to Longfellow, for sure, but also to us in these modern times.  If we allow ourselves to only hear the bells of despair, fear, and angst, they will obscure even the bells tolling "more loud and deep."  Those bells tell us that God is not dead, nor does He sleep.  Christ is here and His Spirit is near, and He brings peace on earth and good will to men.  Can you hear them?  He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

6. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14