Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned a gripping Civil War Christmas Carol that spoke about the evil and hatred of that day as well as the promise that God would ultimately prevail. Today, we sing his song without the last two stanzas, a classical Christmas tune birthed from a heart in despair.

There are so many Christmas Carols that I enjoy and am glad to learn what was going through the composer’s mind when he or she wrote the lyrics long ago. One song, I Heart the Bells on Christmas Day, was written by that great poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and has been sung regularly he penned it on December 25, 1864.

Yes, Longfellow’s epic carol was written on Christmas Day as it was a tribute to the temporary peace between warring union and confederate troops. On that day, both sides called a one day truce in the bloodiest war fought on our soil, with only the peals of church bells breaking the silence.

Inspired, Longfellow wrote the following words which properly spoke of his personal despair while reminding everyone that even in the midst of hatred and war, God will prevail:

“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!”

Originally titled Christmas Bells, the last two stanzas were dropped after the war ended and peace prevailed.

Personally, knowing that the final two stanzas were the foundation for the song explains to me why Longfellow wrote what he did and the anguish in his soul mixed with the hope of the cross that stirred his heart that day.

For more information about the events surrounding Longfellow’s classic work, please visit What Saith the Scripture? for those details.

Photo Credit: Simeon Eichmann

I’ve been considering sharing a few different studies here, but just haven’t had the time to really dig deep to come up with something that is solid enough to post. I’m sure some of that has to do with the distraction of Christmas approaching which (thankfully) doesn’t include me running to the mall, wrapping gifts, sending cards, etc.

Instead, I’m working on finishing up several projects that will come due next week while planning to take a few days off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. After that the real fun begins: I’ll be working on getting my taxes in order (and praying that God gives me the strength to stay sane).

My wife and I have been trying to watch a few Christmas videos these past few weeks, but haven’t finished one. The other day we were watching A Christmas Carol (1951 version with Alistair Sims), but had to turn it off when our children walked into the room.

They’re still not old enough to watch the movie without having nightmares, something I remember having when I first saw it when I was eight or nine. Most chilling to me was the face that appeared on the door knocker when Scrooge went home on Christmas Eve — I think I could handle the spirits, but not the face!

My wife also likes It’s A Wonderful Life, a movie that I wouldn’t watch for a long time, but finally saw in its entirety a few years ago — I like it. Sure, it is a corny movie but Hollywood doesn’t make actors and actresses like they used to. Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart made for a cute couple too.

I’m also fond of A Charlie Brown Christmas, an animated flick that I think is a must watch for families. Charles M. Schultz made sure that Linus quoted from Luke 2 when the show aired, a first of its kind production when it was released in 1965 (on December 9th, no less). The producers wanted to cut out the scripture reading, but Schultz stood fast — what a God honoring way to spread the Christmas message to millions of households!

I also like The Polar Express even if some of the scenes are dark or a character or two is a brat. The animation is simply awesome and the story line would enhant any child who believes in Santa Claus.

Christmas music is something I enjoy, particularly the hymns including O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, and my favorite — O Holy Night. I also enjoy listening to various traditional tunes and get a chuckle when the cable channel’s non-stop Christmas station plays something funny including Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.  I absolutely hated the song when it came out in 1979, but not anymore — it is a good parody of the way we can look at Christmas, from a secular point of view.

As far as food goes, that could be my downfall especially if I’m not careful. Egg nog is fine, but I usually drink a very small amount right around Christmas as my cholesterol level needs to be kept under control. I can think of a half dozen or more treats that I like, but I dare not discuss what they are or I’ll have visions of chocolate kisses dancing in my head tonight.

The center of the season is, of course, Jesus Christ and we have a family advent calendar which our children love to open each morning. We’ll take in the town’s annual Christmas parade this Saturday and keep up with church services, but we’ll also read some stories on our own. This year I’m thinking of putting our children’s devotional book to the side for a few days and reading straight out of Luke 2 — our kids are familiar with the story, but I’ve generally given them kid-sized snippets — time to put away the milk and break out some meat!

My wife loves to decorate the home and with our children’s help it “looks” like Christmas here just after Thanksgiving all the way to the New Year. One of our boys is allergic to pine, so we got the fake tree up, but I do miss the smell. Poinsettias are out of the question because of our two cats and I seem to be the only one who likes holly scented candles.

However way you choose to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, my prayer for you is that this season would be one of renewal where the Spirit of our Lord would shine brightly in your heart and that you would rejoice with all of the saints and angels to give God the glory.