Casting Crowns sings a beautiful version of the Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” This timeless song invites us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and the promise of peace through Christ. Each verse of the familiar song ends with a phrase we most associate with Christmas – “Of peace on earth, goodwill to men,” taken from the song the angels sang to the shepherds on that first Christmas long ago. But the story behind “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is far deeper and sadder than many realize.
On Christmas Day, 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard the church bells ringing and wrote these words:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
But it was not a season of Christmas peace for Longfellow. His wife had recently died from severe burns, civil war was ravaging the nation, and earlier in December, army surgeons had informed Longfellow that his oldest son had been severely injured in battle and might possibly be paralyzed.
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, goodwill to men!”
He heard the bells chiming “peace,” but all around him, he saw despair and violence. He had lost two wives, been himself injured in the fire that had killed his second wife, his son was hurt, his children left motherless, men were enslaving other men, and brothers were killing brothers.
But as he listened to the bells longer, he was able to pen words that still bring Christmas hope to those longing for God’s peace in difficult times:
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, goodwill to men.”
Longfellow knew that God was on His throne. Even though he couldn’t see it, Longfellow knew that God was still working and that ultimately, He would win over all the hate, injustice, and evil of the world. But what is sad is that Longfellow most likely did not really know the God of peace who sent His Son for us to conquer the “Wrong” and bring us eternal peace.
Henry Longfellow was curious about Jesus Christ, but he lived and died a member of the Unitarian Church. Unitarians believe that Jesus was not the Son of God but only a good man and that there was no need for Jesus to sacrificially die for us, and there is no eternal damnation.
Like Longfellow, many people today hear songs of peace while carrying private grief, loss, or discouragement. And like him, they know about God. Over half of Americans have no doubt that He exists, and others are open to it. They overwhelmingly believe that Jesus existed, and most know what He did for us; but very few really know God. They have not chosen to believe they are sinners in need of a Savior or allowed Him to be the Lord of their lives. They can sing (and even write) Christmas carols, but they do not yet know the Savior or the peace that they sing about.
Longfellow believed God was not dead; how much more can we who truly know God rest in the promise that God’s peace is real and eternal. We can be confident in the hope of Christ. One day soon the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men.
For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7.
God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️
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