Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men

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Abstract

wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, goodwill towards men- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1893You may have heard the carol set to this poem. I choke up every time I sing it. I have yet to get through it cleanly this year.It feels very apt. Moreso each year, as society comes more polarized, as hate prevails over the airwaves, in public discourse, as people genuinely live in different informational worlds and react as best they can…often with the result of vicious, virulent hate.I tear up at the third verse, when hate is strong and mocks the song/of peace on Earth, goodwill towards men. But I actually cry at the fourth.Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead, nor does he sleep.It’s four days until Christmas. In the words of Mrs. McAllister from Home Alone, “the season of Perpetual Hope.”And in this Christm

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as season, I cry at that fourth verse because it gives me hope. God is not dead, nor does he sleep.I don’t talk about my spiritual life much. Not many people I know in my day-to-day life share what I believe, and it is too precious to me to discuss carelessly.God will not descend in thunder and lightning to fix the world. That’s not how this works.But he sent us.We cannot bow our heads and give into despair, because we are the hope that was promised. Each of us, reading this. And in this season of perpetual hope, we must remember that.We are here. We are sent. And we are part and parcel of this world that feels so broken. Should we decide, we can make little islands of goodness in the world, of ourselves. We can light a candle.And with many candles, the night is gone. The light prevails.With peace on earth, goodwill towards men.</article></body>

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men

I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on Earth, goodwill towards men

I thought how as, the day had come The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along the unbroken song Of peace on earth, goodwill towards men

Then 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 towards men

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead, nor does he sleep The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, goodwill towards men

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1893

You may have heard the carol set to this poem. I choke up every time I sing it. I have yet to get through it cleanly this year.

It feels very apt. Moreso each year, as society comes more polarized, as hate prevails over the airwaves, in public discourse, as people genuinely live in different informational worlds and react as best they can…often with the result of vicious, virulent hate.

I tear up at the third verse, when hate is strong and mocks the song/of peace on Earth, goodwill towards men. But I actually cry at the fourth.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead, nor does he sleep.

It’s four days until Christmas. In the words of Mrs. McAllister from Home Alone, “the season of Perpetual Hope.”

And in this Christmas season, I cry at that fourth verse because it gives me hope. God is not dead, nor does he sleep.

I don’t talk about my spiritual life much. Not many people I know in my day-to-day life share what I believe, and it is too precious to me to discuss carelessly.

God will not descend in thunder and lightning to fix the world. That’s not how this works.

But he sent us.

We cannot bow our heads and give into despair, because we are the hope that was promised. Each of us, reading this. And in this season of perpetual hope, we must remember that.

We are here. We are sent. And we are part and parcel of this world that feels so broken. Should we decide, we can make little islands of goodness in the world, of ourselves. We can light a candle.

And with many candles, the night is gone. The light prevails.

With peace on earth, goodwill towards men.