“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.’”
So ends, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, Christmas Bells, written at a dark period in his own life, and the life of America – written in a time when his own personal darkness reflected the darkness around him and threatened to overwhelm him. The last two verses are a contrast, a portrayal of two different paths for dealing with the darkness: fear or faith, despair or hope, hate or love.
Wrong and Right, War and Peace, Darkness and Light are ever locked in battle in our world, and in our own lives. And in every age and any circumstance, we have the choice as to which path we will pursue in response to this battle. Join us this week as we finish our exploration of Wadsworth’s poem – which ends with the clear choice of faith, hope, and love.
