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.
I Heard the Bells On
Christmas Day, is a beloved carol based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and
set to music by John Baptiste Calkin. I was reminded of this song several times
over the past few weeks, since the polarizing grand jury decision not to indict
Officer Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown. As we all know, what followed
thereafter were riots, protests, accusations against the police, vitriolic
debates, another tragic death of a black man—Eric Garner—at the hands of
another white police officer, and more protests . . . My Facebook and Twitter
feeds exploded with news stories and commentary from my amateur analyst friends
on both sides of the issue.
My liberal friends—yes, I have those, everyone should have friends on
the opposite side of the political spectrum—accepted the “black” narrative
without hesitation or question. Many of my conservative friends posted stories
countering this narrative, memes mocking Al Sharpton and the black protesters
in Ferguson, news stories about cops going out of their way to perform acts of
kindness, statistics disputing the ones spouted by the other side, and some stories
and videos that were just mean and counterproductive. There was precious
little, on either side of the issue, which endeavored to generate a solution, allay
the obvious pain and anger of an entire community, or bridge the broadening gap
between black and white. If anything, more damage has been done. And, it’s
almost Christmas.
I 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.
So, what are the facts: two black men are dead, two families are
devastated, two police officers’ careers are irreparably tarnished, the black
community is filled with fury, the justice system is in question, protests are disrupting
the nation, and the age-old rift between black and white continues to widen. I
don’t pretend to know the truth. Was Michael Brown an innocent victim? Was he a
criminal who threatened the safety of a police officer? Was there malicious
intent in the death of Eric Garner? In the end, the bigger picture is out of
focus, because the real goal—the equality and brotherhood of all races—has been
lost. And, it’s almost Christmas.
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."
A quick history lesson: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day was written
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the winter of 1864. (Read the whole story.) Christmas
of 1864 was one of the darkest Christmases in our country’s past. The Civil War
had been raging on for more than 3 ½ years, and would continue for several
months more. The country was, literally, divided. Countless lives had been
lost. The South was utterly decimated. And, the Thirteenth Amendment to the
Constitution—the one that ended the evil of slavery—had yet to be passed. The
horror of the Civil War, in which Longfellow’s own sons were fighting, might
all have been in vain. Yet, if you listen to the entire song, you see there is
still hope.
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."
Many of the efforts at protecting civil rights and achieving racial
equality over the past few years have done more harm than good. Affirmative action,
various lawsuits, and even the welfare system have served, in many ways, to
create jealousy, cultivate discord, and keep poor minorities dependent and
locked into a hopeless system. Perhaps this is intended; perhaps it is simply
the result of a broken system and years of hatred and bigotry. Many poor people
and racial minorities face a very different reality than the majority of
Americans. It isn’t necessarily our fault, but that doesn’t relieve of us of
the responsibility to care for our fellow man. Remember, it’s Christmas.
Christmas is about Jesus—not Santa or presents. Jesus—the greatest gift
for all mankind—commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He didn’t say
to love our neighbors as long as they deserve it, or love them as long as they
agree with us politically, or love them when it is convenient. (See Matthew22:36-40) It isn’t about who’s right or
wrong, there is much, much more at stake—it’s almost Christmas . . .
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!
