I recently read through a devotional in my YouVersion iPhone app (a little plug for a sweet app) on the Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” On Christmas day 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem entitled “Christmas Bells,” that was later turned into our current carol by John Baptiste Calkin. The story behind the lyrics riveted my attention.

As the backstory unfolds, Longfellow and his family lived amidst early America’s civil war period. During one particularly dry and depressing season, Longfellow’s wife longed to feel the invigorating sea breeze once again (as noted in her diary). The very next day as she was cutting her daughter’s hair, she decided to preserve some of the hair with sealing wax. As a few drops of the burning wax dripped unnoticed on Mrs. Longfellow’s lap, the longed-for sea breeze came through the window, instantly igniting and quickly engulfing her flames. She ran into the next room to her husband (away from the children), where Mr. Longfellow wrapped around his wife with anything he could to dissipate the flames. Tragically, Mrs. Longfellow died the next morning and Mr. Longfellow was so severely burned, he couldn’t even attend her funeral.

The same day of the fire tragedy, the first shots fired that began the civil war. As the civil war ensued, the Longfellows’ oldest son enlisted in the war effort, apparently without the full support of his father. Around two years after Henry lost his wife, he received word that his eldest son was severely wounded in the war.

The next year, after so much tragedy around Christmas, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to what we now know of as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Whether it was the hope he longed for through the loss of his wife, the continued life of his eldest son, or the prospective hope for the split nation, Longfellow seemed to redirect his attention to the hope Christmas brings.

Now, whether Longfellow was a follower of Jesus, we can’t say. But, his writings, either knowingly or unknowingly, strike a chord that beautifully resonates with Scripture and the Christmas message.

Through each verse of the song, the phrase “peace on earth, good will to men” recurs, building to what we know of as the fourth verse about God being not dead. Imagine with me for a moment all of the national and personal tragedy that Longfellow associated with Christmas and life in general. Now place your own tragedies (or those you know) in place of Longfellow’s life circumstances. Keeping those scenarios in mind, recall verse four of the song, “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.”

One could insert the Jewish nation into this scenario as well. Ponder how they struggled living in light of their promised coming Messiah. For several hundred years God was silent. Nothing. No word about His promises being fulfilled, only more oppression by countless pagan nations.

Then, through the simple story of Christmas, Jesus, God’s Salvation (Jesus’ Hebrew name literally means Salvation), broke the silence through His humble birth.

Many of us can also identify with times of seeming hopelessness, where it seems as though God is not present.

This Christmas may we reflect on the truths declared and promised in Isaiah 9:1-7! Amidst times of confusion and seeming silence from God, our God is at work. He declared through Isaiah His plan to bring peace and righteousness through a child, a son… that One being Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Several hundred years later, the fruition of Isaiah’s declaration came in the form of baby Jesus!

I pray God’s grace is upon your life! If you don’t know the Jesus of Christmas as your Savior, will you embrace Him by faith? Believers, may we take comfort this season, that our God is not dead! He has a plan, and is actively working in our lives for His glory!

Glory to God in the highest!
Derek