On Christmas day, 1863, in the midst of the civil war and from a hospital room where his son lay mortally wounded, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the following words:
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 from 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 peeled 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!”
A Universal Principle
At this Christmas season, which is sacred to me and millions of others across the world, I’m not going to talk about finances or money. I am a Christian and so that is the point of view I come from. However, I hope that my words can resonate across boundaries of religion, creed, belief, doctrine, or denomination.
There are times in all our lives when we too might ask if God is dead or asleep. But as the world seems to careen further and further out of control, I would like us to turn to the principles taught by the Babe of Bethlehem – love being foremost amongst them. Love is a principle that is not the sole property of the Christian faith – it is universal. Love changes the lives of both those who receive and those who give. When we love others as ourselves – just as Christ taught – the right will most assuredly prevail.
It’s that time of year when, as the song says, “the world falls in love.” Let us then carry that love – that was shown by the Savior – to all the world throughout all the year. To all who may have lost hope amongst health struggles, money problems, marital stress, the death of loved ones, or even inhumane and savage acts of others, let us declare by word and by deed that “God is not dead, nor doth He
Service: A Gift of Love
Since Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us give Him the only gift we are capable of: our will. This next year, let us partner fully with Him to bring love, joy, and peace to those who are downtrodden and weary. Let us serve our fellow man – our brothers and sisters – in whatever way we can. Most of all, let us commit to love more, love better, and love all. Let the example of Christ’s words, deeds, and thoughts become the pattern for our own life. In this way, through us, the world might know of His love, peace, and salvation.
Because I Have Been Given Much
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is one of my very favorite poems. The message of hope and love in that final verse is so powerful to me. It is my fervent prayer this Christmas that we will find those who need love, then give them that love. Give, then give some more, then give until you feel you can’t give anymore, then give until it hurts. That was the example that Jesus Christ set for us as He gave and gave until “It [was] finished” (John 19: 30). We are not asked to give unto death, but I feel the words of a favorite hymn embody our duty to love:
Because I have been given much,
I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty,
Lord, each day I live
I shall divide my gifts from thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.
Because I have been sheltered,
Fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another’s lack
And I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,
My roof’s safe shelter overhead,
That he too may be comforted.
Because I have been blessed
By thy great love, dear Lord,
I’ll share thy love again,
According to thy word.
I shall give love to those in need;
I’ll show my love by word and deed:
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.
(Because I Have Been Given Much, Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, p.219)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season! Let’s take our renewed love for our fellow beings into the new year and change lives along the way!