Christmas-New Year greetings from Perth
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
How do Christmas carols, especially this one, say, "Peace on earth, good will to men"? I Heard the Bells has this refrain in every one of the five verses. Do we see peace and goodwill? No, we see war, suffering and pain. Some of us are without loved ones this Christmas due to awful circumstances. We likewise are aware of the sadness over Christmas for the families of Katrina Dawson, Tori Johnson, Phillip Hughes and the family of Monis as well.
This is the same question asked by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who sorrowfully penned this Carol in 1864 after the untimely death of his wife in a house fire. He too was without his dear one at Christmas. The middle verse reads,
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."
And yet Christmas does lift his despairing heart. The carols remind him how God, the Creator of the universe came to earth to save people, to deal with evil and He is still in control. God has not been caught out sleeping and allowing all this to happen. To come as a man was the only solution to save mankind and bring peace between us and God. The full carol is below.
The psalmist of Psalm 73 has a similar dilemma. He feels God is asleep and not caring for him. God speaks to him, though not through a carol. He remembers the greatest blessing is knowing God is walking along beside us, vv23-26,
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterwards you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion for ever.
This summer break with Christmas and New Year is a time of mixed and fraught emotions, which gives us more time for reflection. As you reflect back and look forward, may your eyes be on Jesus and remind you of God's great love for us shown in His coming as a baby and dying on a cross to enable you to have eternal peace and reconciliation with Him.
All of us here in the City Bible Forum team look forward to continuing to share this message of the gospel to city workers here in Perth,
Paul, Léni, Deb and our wonderful volunteers
The full carol is ...
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.
I 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.
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."
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!
We also encourage you to read the whole of Psalm 73 to see his change of heart from despair to thankfulness for his relationship with God.
