“Hope is the little voice you hear whisper Maybe, when it seems the whole world is shouting No.” - Unknown.
Christmas, 1863 and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was trying to find the right words to express his emotions. For over 2 years, our nation had been gripped and ravaged by the Civil War. Henry’s wife of 18 years, Fanny Longfellow had died in a house fire in 1861. In 1863, Longfellow received word that his oldest son, Lt. Charles Longfellow of the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded in battle. Longfellow’s personal life had been ravaged by tragedy and war.
So, on Christmas Day, Longfellow wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells" that best expressed the ups and downs of the previous years. The poem was later set to music and can be found in church hymnals as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Longfellow wrote:
"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!"
Despite the surrounding darkness of the times, Longfellow persevered and chose to focus his efforts on proclaiming a message of hope. While many would have lost hope or only seen darkness, Longfellow’s words produced a message of light that pierced the darkness of his surroundings, his personal life, and his outlook.
As we continue our journey to Christmas morning, Longfellow’s poem reminds me of our ability to cast light into darkness. But it is our choice. In place of church bells, our voices, our compassion, our love, and the example we choose to set in this world peal louder and deeper, enabling us to let others who are struggling this Christmas season know that “wrong shall fail, right prevail.” Let others hear your voice. Peace to you this Christmas season.
Rev. Dennis Hysom