Every year at Christmas time I look forward to many things, cards, decorating, baking, carols...and usually , for whatever reason there comes a song which becomes special to me ; provokes thoughts and feelings and at times enlightens me. Like I just heard it for the first time and I truly understand it.
This year the song that stands out for me is " I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, originally a poem.
!-- Copyright 1997-2007 The Cyber Hymnal --
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 the 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."
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!
In the original text Mr Longfellow, stanzas 4 & 5(usually omitted in hymnals and not printed here, sorry), pertain to the American civil war in which his son was injured. This was too much, after having over time, endured the death of both his first and second wife.
I find that this song reminds me of the psalms, and how even if David was forlorn and downtrodden in the beginning, the end is always a turning from circumstance and his focus returns to God, His salvation His truth, His Grace; that God is the Almighty and David's trust remains with Him.
In the song above the despair and pain is very clear in the beginning yet the phrase"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep",turns it all around like the fog had lifted , and although his pain was still very real, the realization of who God is , that He is in control surpassed the author's circumstances and one can almost feel the shift , the pain being lifted.
Praise be to God who sits on the throne forever and ever!
" God is not dead , nor doth He sleep!"
Amen and Amen!
