Jingle Bells

Every year my wife and I start listening to Christmas music together, and it is an absolute must that a Bing Crosby Christmas album gets listened to, as well as Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and others.  Although, my wife and I disagree on when the starting point of Christmas music is, she thinks after Halloween, I think after Thanksgiving, we agree on what quality Christmas music is.  We are not of the opinion that all Christmas music is worth it.  For instance, there is a song called "Christmas in Kansas City" that I hope is only played in KC because it is like radio active noise pollution.  I'm pretty sure it causes auditory cancer.  (Side note: cancer is not funny and neither is this song)

There is one song that we have from Bing Crosby.  It's an old hymn originally penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  It was written towards the end of the Civil War, but every year this song really strikes me.  The song is called "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," the poem was originally called "Christmas Bells."  Two things always strike me about this song.  First, the gender exclusive language which my 21st Century sensibilities struggles with.  Second, the emotion in the last two stanzas of the song/poem.

I'm going to write little about the first thing.  It just bugs me that we can't just put the word "all" in place of "men" in these songs.  But it was a different time with openly misogynistic views instead of our veiled misogynistic views of today...

The second thing is the reality that 2000ish years ago Christ's birth was supposed to bring about peace on earth, but what do we have.  We just ended one of two long running wars in the US, and worldwide there is so much struggle.  Let alone all the haunting memories and internal struggle that each individual faces.  Peace doesn't seem to be something that we really have.  The verse says "for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

The following stanza or verse says, "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep."  The bells are the signal, a reminder that God isn't gone or inattentive or asleep.  The bells are a reminder of the peace we can have through Christ.  The peace we can have because God came as a person, experiencing all that it means to be human, so that we can experience a little more deeply who God is.  God has poured out Godself for you so that you may know peace in a way that this world doesn't seem to understand.  A peace through forgiveness, nonviolent correction, not through force.

Let the bells of Christmas truly remind you of the peace we have through God in Jesus the Christ so that you may strive to share that peace with everyone you meet!

Amen and Amen!

P.S. Here is a version of the song from Youtube for your listening pleasure.