Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was an American poet whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride” and “The Song of Hiawatha.” He wrote the kind of poetry which children read when I was in school. In fact, I memorized his poem “The Village Blacksmith” when I was in fifth grade. It begins with a line of verse I have never forgotten:

Under a spreading chestnut tree

  The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

  With large and sinewy hands;

I suppose the poem reminded me of my own father. An honest, hardworking man, he was bighearted, friendly and loving. In my mind he was invincible. I felt safe and secure in his presence. With dad on my side, troubles of the world could not come near and no evil would befall me.

I long for every child to feel that way, to live in a world where innocence is not shattered by unimaginable tragedy. A world similar to what I remember, where I could ride my bike on our county road to my friend’s house two miles away and no one worried because the neighbors in the four houses along the way had known both of us since we were born. They would be on the look-out for our safety, not looking to do us harm.

I wish no child had to worry about meth houses next door, abuse or being shot in random acts of violence. But the truth is, the world has never been as idealistic as my fifth grade self remembers it. Cruelty and exploitation have always existed even if I was shielded from it when I was young.

Likewise, faulty theology would have us believe God has somehow abandoned schoolchildren or looks unfavorably on our country because outward displays of religion and, allegedly God himself, are not “welcome” in certain places. Well, here’s something else I learned as a child: God is everywhere. We will not be saved from every evil, or delivered from all loss and grief, but he has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He grieves with us, his spirit is waiting to bring us comfort.

If the test of God’s love and protection is that there is no destruction where he is welcome, then our men and women in the military would never see harm and everyone in hospitals would walk out whole and healthy, because I assure you prayers abound in “foxholes” and intensive care units.

As we grieve as a country for the loss of life in Connecticut, some are asking why God seemed to be absent there. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I have a thought and it brings us back to Longfellow. A century and a half ago he penned a poem during another time of mourning in our nation's history. Not only had he recently suffered personal tragedy but the Civil War was raging on with all its horrors and bloodshed. This, I would add, despite teacher-led prayers and an abundance of Bibles and other outward displays of religion in schoolhouses throughout the land.

Later set to music by composer Jean Baptiste Calkin in 1872, Longfellow’s poem is now a familiar Christmas carol, “I heard the bells on Christmas Day.” Here is the original 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 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."

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we must not despair at what we see and hear in the world. Let us all do our part to raise up children of faith and not depend on others to do it. Show young people how to be generous and giving. Don’t plant seeds of fear in their young minds so that they become afraid of living. Take time to point out the beauty of art and the wonder of nature. Don’t look for danger to be lurking around every corner. Be always hopeful in your own heart.

Take comfort in knowing that peace and goodwill can prevail. God has provided the Way through the teachings of Jesus for society to be transformed. We must show we have the will to live according to his word because it is up to us to change the world.