Peace on Earth

On Friday, December 14, 2012, the peace was shattered in idyllic Newtown, Connecticut. Evil paid a visit and snuffed out the lives of 27 people, including the perpetrator. When I first read the news reports online at work Friday morning, my heart was heavy and grieving. I don’t know any of these people, but as a mother, my heart aches for those parents and family members who lost loved ones. I cannot imagine the scope of their grief. Innocents were taken, and innocence was lost.

I was going about my day on Saturday with Christmas music playing and one particular song caught my attention and caused me to stop what I was doing. It’s an old carol that isn’t one of the popular standards, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”. This particular version was sung by Casting Crowns.

1. i heard the bells on christmas day - casting crowns .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

I looked up the lyrics to read them fully and discovered that the lyrics were based on a poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At the time Longfellow wrote the poem, his wife had died in a house fire and his oldest son had gone off to fight in the American Civil War. For Longfellow, Christmas was a time of despair with the loss of his wife and his son away at war. He wrote, “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."

The words of the next stanza of the song were the words that jumped out at me: "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men."

I don't know that we will ever fully understand the reasoning for the senseless acts and choices of one young man in Newtown, Connecticut. So where was God? I have to believe He was there, giving courage to the heroic teachers who laid down their lives for their young students and giving comfort to those children in their final moments. He is there now giving peace and comfort to the hurting through the embraces and support of friends, family and the community.

Hearing the news of the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, it does seem that hate and evil is strong and peace is mocked. But along with the words of Longfellow, I have hope and proclaim that God is not dead, nor does he sleep. I have hope that wrong (evil) will fail and right (good) will prevail. God is good.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Words by Henry W. Longfellow; Music by Jean Baptiste Calkin

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!