Henry W. Longfellow, author of this hymn, was an American poet whose name is well known. His first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign languages.
On Friday, December 25, 1863, Longfellow—as a 57-year-old
widowed father of six children, the oldest of which had been nearly paralyzed
as his country fought a war against itself, wrote a poem seeking to capture the
dissonance in his own heart and the world he observes around him that Christmas
Day.
He heard the Christmas bells
ringing in Cambridge and the singing of “peace on earth, good-will to men” and
was deeply inspired by the Christmas season. Despite his personal tragedies,
Longfellow remained resilient and found solace in his faith. In “I Heard the
Bells on Christmas Day,” Longfellow expresses his desire for peace and
reconciliation and his belief that one day, all will be made right in the
world.
Our God is very much alive and in
control. He never sleeps. He is all that is right and true. He wins.
Sometimes it’s hard to be happy at Christmas. People are always going through the problems and ugliness of life here on earth. People say, “I just want to get through it.” I’ve been there. I think most people have.
As Longfellow found out, the bells still ring and God is still in control. Grab your bells! Find a church that rings bells! Go online and hear the bells ring! “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!’” Amen! Hallelujah! Our God reigns!
By His Grace . . .
