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!
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."
In this poem, Longfellow acknowledges a world in which "hate is strong." Our time also seems to be one in which "hate is strong," as we read of terrorist atrocities and racial strife. And yet, at the end of his poem Longfellow expresses his fervent belief that ultimately evil shall not prevail. In a sense, this is the message of Christmas--God sent His Son into the world so that through His death and resurrection sin, death, and evil itself would be vanquished forever. May we keep this truth in mind this Christmas!
Image of ringing church bells from southafrica.indiantimes.co