A Christmas Message

I thought it might be appropriate to share the words of this old, and maybe not so longer familiar, hymn. I have chosen the original version of the song, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas  Day, 1863. His son, Charles, joined the Union cause in March and was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church in November.  The references to the war are usually omitted in today’s versions, but they still speak to us of the divisions that rent our country today.

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!

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.”

 

May you all have a blessed Christmas with family, friends, cheer, and…hope.