Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and mild 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."

Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I happened to hear the sung version (Frank Sinatra) of this poem the other day. It really grabbed me, so I listened to it over a dozen times. I played it for my daughter. She didn't think too much of it, but she is young.

Longfellow lost his wife tragically a couple years before writing it. He also nearly lost his son in the War Between The States, according to Wikipedia. The thing that I identify with the most is the last two stanzas. I am prone to despair at times, but I really appreciate the reminder at the end that Yahweh is in control. No matter how bad the world might get, we can always count on Him.

Merry Christmas!