Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men

Wednesday: 

"Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men."

Fast forward from the Declaration of Independence, 224 years to this year, December of 2020. 

 

Hate, violence and intense stress mock the hope of peace on earth. Sin has continued as before. As I write this post in December 2020, I have never seen a greater degree of stress and hatred in our country. We've had a worldwide pandemic strike and it continues indefinitely, a stock market crash, lock downs that are destroying businesses, people are out of work. Child abuse and suicide has increased greatly. Many children have not gone to school since last March. The loneliness and lack of socialization is very difficult for them. Churches that could have brought encouragement have been closed or in various stages of lock down as well. If that's not enough stress, then in early July the riots flared up. In Portland Oregon, they were every day for over 100 days. Then in early September, the riots suddenly subsided for a while, then started up again. During this time fires ripped through communities in California and all the way up through Oregon. From Southern Oregon, all the way to Northern Oregon, moving through communities along the I-5 corridor, west of the Cascades, burning down homes. Just in our area 2600 homes were burned to the ground and nearly 2000 businesses were destroyed. So many walked away with nothing but the clothes on their backs. These were not typical forest fires that occur in our area, they were fires burning entire communities of homes. Never happened here like that before. And even now there such deep hatred emanating from the riots, continuing through the election even now as we approach Christmas. Lord, I long for peace on earth and good will toward men.

 

So if we don't have peace on earth right now in our country, then what good is the verse of "Peace on Earth and Good will toward men"? Is it just a slogan... just words in a song? As I typed above “Hate and war mock the hope of peace on earth;” a few lyrics of a Christmas Carol kept playing in my mind.

But I could not remember the name of the carol. In prayer, the words "I heard the bells on Christmas Day" came to mind. So I looked it up, and there those words were. I think this year we can identify with these poignant words.

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!

Further down in the poem it continues:

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!"

This carol was originally a poem was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “In 1861, two years before writing this poem, Longfellow's personal peace was shaken when his second wife of 18 years, to whom he was very devoted, was fatally burned in an accidental fire. Then in 1862, during the American Civil War, Longfellow's oldest son, Charles Appleton Longfellow, joined the Union Army without his father's blessing.” He survived the war, but came home seriously wounded. Henry took care of his wounded son.

This story involves another war, the Civil War. In this war the North fought to free the slaves. Many of our ancestor’s blood saturated the ground in the numerous battles of citizens against citizens. I had two ancestors in that war, that I know of. One great, great great grandpa survived the war. After the war he married the widow of another great, great, great grandpa who did not live. Both solders fought for the Union to free the slaves.

This poem brought tears to my eyes. It later became a Christmas Carole that most of us are very familiar with. The original poem poured out this man’s broken heart. There are many more verses, so I will conclude with this:

 

“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."

Yes, despite our struggles this year, we press on and press in knowing that “God is not Dead nor doth He sleep.”

We look to Him who loves us and trust His love for us regardless of what happens.

 

Here is the poem in its entirety:

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."