I Heard the 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.
One of the many Christmas movies I’ve watched this season is called “I Heard the Bells.” A familiar Christmas carol, it was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a favorite American poet of the 19th century. He is best known for his poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.” How many in my generation had to memorize that poem! I still remember the opening lines...
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
Longfellow's famous Christmas carol was written after the tragic loss of his beloved wife. She loved the bells and told their children it wasn’t Christmas until the bells rang out. After her death, he went into a deep depression and stopped writing. The words of the second stanza reflected his anguish:
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.”
As I ponder those words this Christmas season, they strike a chord in my heart as war and conflict rage in many parts of the world. A quick scroll through social media is filled with echoes of “For hate is strong and mocks the song.” When I consider the insurmountable needs of people on the brink of hopelessness due to loss, financial lack, homelessness, or irrevocably damaged lives, Longfellow's words ring truer than joyful bells on Christmas day.
But God! The only Source of hope in our world today is Jesus Christ. The traditional symbols of Christmas we have come to love, all reflect the one born in an manger.
Christmas lights and candles remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world, come to deliver us from darkness.
The Christmas Tree, with its evergreen branches, represents the everlasting life offered by Christ.
The Christmas Star represents divine guidance and symbolizes hope and purpose.
Angels were the messengers of God bringing good news to men.
The Candy Cane, shaped like a shepherd’s hook, reminds us that He is the Good Shepherd. Through His purity (white) and blood (red),He offers us security and protection. And turned upside down, the candy cane is a “J” for Jesus!
Gift-giving calls to mind the Three Wise Men and the gifts they brought to the Messiah on that first Christmas.
And of course, the Bells. Symbols of joy and celebration that declare: “Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11).
The last two stanzas of Longfellow’s carol express the renewed hope he found as he encountered Christ once again at Christmas time:
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.”
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!
This Christmas, may each of the symbols of this wonderful season remind you that there is a Savior who came in the flesh as a little baby with one purpose in His life: to give it away so that you may know eternal life and His unconditional, unrelentless love for you.
I pray your Christmas will be “merry and bright” and filled with treasured gifts from the Father’s heart to yours.
Merry Christmas!
Diane