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I Heard the Bells

In which I reflect on the triumph of hope over despair.
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“For hate is strong, and mocks the song, of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Notes From The Study

My wife and I recently snuck away on a date night to watch I Heard the Bells. It’s a wonderful telling of the story behind the famous Christmas carol penned by one of y favourite poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The poem is titled “Christmas Bells,”—though we know it as the song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas day”—and expresses Longfellow’s deep struggle with depression brought on by the tragic loss of his wife, Fanny (Frances), whom he loved dearly.

Those 18 years of marriage were the happiest of his life. The loss of Fanny was compounded by the stress of his oldest son, Charley, going off to fight in the Union army without his father’s consent (he didn’t meet the age requirement).

In his time, Longfellow was a literary light in society. Imagine a poet being a celebrity! But it is true. He was beloved, as his poems won him the heart of America. But tragedy sought to douse his flame. Personal and national tragedy seared his heart and drove him to the brink of despair. But in the darkest moments, the Christmas bells rang out, inspiring him to see that for which his heart longed.

The holidays can feel fake and materialistic, and plastic. And personal tragedies and quiet struggles don’t hold off just because the holidays arrive. And culture can feel heavy with the burden of division.

But the incarnation brings more than hope—though even that is bounty enough. It brings a Miracle: Divine into human, perfection dispelling darkness, recreation igniting the cosmos. It is this reality that whispers to us. Not demanding we dress up our pain. But stirring us in our tears and reminding us that God is not dead. Light has come.

I pray you well, dear friends. And hope that this weekend brings peace to you and yours as we ready to commemorate the Grand Miracle of Peace on Earth.


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Timothy Willard