The year was 1863. Our
nation was torn, in the midst of civil war and Henry’s son could not be idle
any longer. Charles left the family and
in a letter dated March 14 of that year he informed his father that he was
joining the war efforts. He wrote…
"I have tried hard to resist the temptation of going
without your leave but I cannot any longer, I feel it to be my first duty to do what I can for my country and I
would willingly lay down my life for it if it would be of any good".
It would become a difficult year for Henry. His son quickly rose to the appointment of lieutenant
and in November was severely injured in battle.
Henry had also lost the love of his life, Frances in a recent accidental
fire.
Henry picked up his pen and started to write. The Christmas season came in the midst of his
trial and these words rang true in his heart and soul…
"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!
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!"
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!"
As I read my Bible, the words of David in the
Psalms, the many accounts of strife and toil laid out before the Children
of God one thing always rings true. God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong
shall fail, the Right prevail…with peace on earth goodwill to men!
As believers, this Christmas season, these
words ring true because we know our God sees all. For we who know Him cling to His mercy. He is our hope, our joy in this Christmas
season and in every season of our lives. Every year in this season, my heart prays for those whose lives are torn while living each day in the midst of the holiday shoppers and all the joyous hubbub of Christmas.
And this year is no different. There is a different kind of 'war' today, and it, like the war back then is attempting to rob us of the magnificence of what we celebrate, the Emmanuel or God with us turn of events that would rescue mankind from discord, strife and even war.
In the midst of our civil war, having also just lost his wonderful wife, American poet,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s faith, his confidence in God, compelled him to pick
up his pen on Christmas day, dip it into the familiar ink well, creating the
mighty words of his poem…Christmas Bells.
It would be first published a year and a few
months later, February 1865 , in a young people’s magazine. The first appointment to music was made by The English
organist, John Baptiste Caulkin 1872 using the poem
in a processional accompanied with a melody he previously used as early as 1848…the
familiar music we recognize today was created a while before the poem was written. Others have also set the poem to music as
well.
Henry did as Henry always did, use his God
given gift as a mighty testimony of His faith to a world so desperately in need
of it.
It is my hope, my prayer that as we go through
this Christmas season we each will do as we always do, with Godly purpose at
the fore. God has placed us here, in our
families, in our church, in our jobs and in the places He leads us for His purpose.
As we go through our days this Christmas, our
confidence in God should compel us to go about our lives as He created us,
doing the very things we always do. By
doing so we each will let our Lord create through us the purposeful, mighty
testimony of this season…
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"
