lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When I was a child, Santa couldn’t wait too long to start delivering presents, otherwise he wouldn’t be done by Christmas morning. Our house was on the early delivery list. At dusk on Christmas Eve, Daddy would take us to Rocky Butte, an outcrop from which our house was visible, tiny and far away. From there we pretended to see Santa’s sleigh hovering over our neighborhood. Then we went home to open the presents that Mommy had put under the tree.
The carol I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day pushes back on the “let’s pretend” vibe that too often surrounds Christmas. Though the first two verses sing in the usual joyful mode, the third verse is quite different. “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.” Wow. I admire that desire to face reality.
But the very next verse takes us into a larger reality. The Christmas bells argue back: “God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.” God will not let hate win. One day, there will be peace on earth. Though hate is strong, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can collaborate with God in the advent of the reign of peace and wholeness.
Prayer: God, help me acknowledge the world’s brokenness, so that your grace working through me can help mend that brokenness. Amen.
Carol Simon