“…on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

“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.”

Henry  Wadsworth Longfellow (written 1863)

This poem written by Longfellow during the American Civil War was in response to his oldest son being severely wounded at the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia. He felt great anguish about the war and wished for their to be peace between the Confederates and the Unionists.

This poem has since been put to music and performed by many artists, including Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte and Elvis Presley. The band Casting Crowns have recorded a beautiful version. (See below).

This Christmas, for some people, like for Longfellow, the angels’ message of peace on earth (Luke 2:14) can seem to be a mockery of what they are experiencing. As the poem says, ‘for hate is strong and mocks the song, of peace on earth good will to men‘. For people, such as those suffering in the war in Syria, there seems to be no peace this Christmas, and yet we know that the message of the angels is true and trustworthy.

Even for people in homes around the UK, there can often be no peace at Christmas.  Their are family fights and despair that happens.  People are grieving lost loved ones. People are struggling to make ends meet, and it is very far from a merry Christmas for them.

The world is in a mess; and peace seems like a far, distant dream.

But it is into a world that has been polluted with sin that Jesus came.

He came to redeem and restore, to heal and to save.

In first century Israel, there were people despairing. There was oppression by the Romans. People were struggling to make ends meet. Into the mess and the muck of our sin polluted world, God stepped in and took on flesh; to bring us the only peace that lasts. Peace that can be found on a battlefield. Peace that can be experienced in the midst of despairing circumstances; and the only peace that is of eternal consequence.

Peace with God.

At Llandudno Youth for Christ; we pray that you will find this peace at Christmas.

Please continue to pray for the work that we do amongst young people in Llandudno and beyond. Pray that we will be able to help young people experience and discover God and His peace this Christmas.

Grace and peace to all of you this Christmas!