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Always the bells, always ring the bells
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas Day
Luke 2:11
Today in the city of David a savior has been born to you who is Christ and Lord.
Titus 2:11-13
The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age as we await the blessed hope.
This is not always so obvious a part of the Christmas holiday. The New York Times remembers that 17th century Puritans struggled in England to ban the celebration of Christmas, because it was one of the few times of year that religious Christians could let their hair down, eat mincemeat pies and go a-wassailing. The public resisted.
But not so much resistance in the new American colony of Massachusetts. Here the General Court banned Christmas in 1659, punishing anyone caught drinking eggnog or kissing under the mistletoe with a five-shilling fine or stint in the stocks. And though the laws were eventually changed, Boston public schools were open on Christmas Day for over two hundred more years, until 1870.
The Civil War ended in 1865. In 1863 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a devout Harvard literature professor, wrote a grief-stricken poem of despair and hope after his son was killed in battle and his wife died in a fire.
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 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.” 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.”
Longfellow’s poem was set to music in 1872 and sung ever since, by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Kate Smith, Bing Crosby and many more.
There is quiet in the streets of our town, Lord. Although they are not far away across the world, no cannons thunder here. Still, we like Longfellow strain to know your quiet strength and see your love in the deep deep eyes of baby Jesus, born today, born to us, born to bring us life. Thank you thank you thank you!
