Originally published after Christmas 2020; edited for today.
Throughout my childhood years and long into my adulthood Christmas had always been a very special time of year. Plans were made, food was prepared, and presents were wrapped sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree. Even the music is unlike any other time of year lifting spirits high. Lights were glittering with decorations placed so that with every turn whether in your house or out in the car, you knew it was Christmas. However, no matter how busy you were, how full your stomachs, what made this time “special” was family.
You see, Dad loved family, even our friends were treated like family, so I have come to realize that our “relationships” are the only thing that make this life worth living. Dad was also careful to teach us that a good relationship is full of love and forgiveness, so all relationships must start with Jesus. “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) The truth is, the mystery of Christmas, that special feeling we get, happens because of Jesus’ love for us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave...”, He gave us Jesus! (John 3:16)
So how is your Christmas coming along? Mine is not too good. I would like to say that the joy is overflowing, just as the angels promised; you know, “Of Peace on earth, Good-will to Men.” I want to say that it is filling our house, but I can’t.
This is the most challenging, insignificant, empty and godless Christmas I have ever experienced. I tried to have joy, I wanted peace. I am working hard to make this year “special,” only to receive criticism as my reward. I am still struggling with the relationships. Okay, I’ll say it... I struggle with love and forgiveness.
Have you ever been there?
So now, Christmas is coming. Families will be traveling home some won't. And i am already missing it. As I reflect on these feelings I am realizing that all of this isn’t just a Christmas thing. I have been struggling for some time. I am reminded that “forgiveness” is a long-term commitment, especially for those unspoken offenses. We know life has its ups and downs and it seems the down side has lingered this year with all that is going on. Sometimes the sorrow seems overwhelming and drowns out “Peace on earth, Good-will to men.”
In my book, “Maybe It’s Good We Don’t Know,” I write about a God who knows our hearts and what we struggle with. I share stories of a God who is actively involved with our everyday lives. I write about a God who cares. So it is with no surprise that last Sunday I heard the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the author of “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.” You see, he struggled too, just like you and me. Yet he wrote a poem “Of Peace on earth, Good-will to men” in the depths of despair.
I have sung this hymn nearly every Christmas as an expression of joy in my heart never realizing the struggles he wrote about. In fact our hymn books have deleted some verses that describe his deepest grief. The following are the original words of Longfellow’s poem:
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 cannons 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!”
Now folks, many of us are right here identifying with this pain. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring. We worry and fret and feel loss for ourselves and our children, but the song does not end here.
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!”
That hits pretty deep for me. Maybe for you too, who knows. But see like Longfellow was saying it the deep pains the slow burns the we all struggle with that make the bells sound louder and clearer in the morning! But getting there is the hard part, learning and starting over is sometimes the most difficult things we can do. Only God gives new beginnings.
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
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