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“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 (NIV)
“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!
The familiar Christmas Carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” came from a poem penned on December 25, 1864, by Henry Lonfellow amidst one of the worst periods in United States history, the Civil War. His inspiration came as he heard the bells ringing in a nearby church.
Later, Longfellow pens two stanzas of the poem that hymn writers chose to exclude when the poem was put to the familiar tune we know it as.
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in 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!
One can’t blame the poet for the injection of these mournful words. In the previous year he’d lost his dearly loved wife in a fire, and his son became a victim of war.
Peace on earth?
Hardly.
Goodwill towards men?
The Civil War made enemies out of brothers.
Still, Longfellow ends his poem with:
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 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!”
‘Peace on Earth; Goodwill towards men’ still eludes us. The news is full of horrific tales of violence mankind pits against one another. Only the most horrific acts gain media attention. Behind the scenes of mass murder and natural disasters are family members abusing one another; accidents claiming the lives of young fathers and mothers and children; disease taking lives of people all too soon.
So where is the peace that Longfellow fell back on as he closed his poem that dark Christmas Day? Where is the peace the Angels sang of on that dark hillside outside Jerusalem?
Like the Angels, Longfellow knew what we must never forget. ‘Peace on earth; Goodwill towards men’ will never be dictated by a politicians mandate, a hefty retirement account, a fulfilled relationship or healthy eating/exercise regimen. Peace and goodwill always has been, and always will be a state of mind that transcends the tragedies of life, and based on faith in Jesus Christ.
God’s favor, his peace rests on those who rest in him. Tragedies will come. Horrific acts of violence will happen. Innocent lives will be taken far too soon. But right will prevail. Jesus has promised us that he will be with us always, even in the midst of the storm.
The Angel song of honor reminds us that God’s kingdom of peace has a present reality to those who follow Jesus, and a future hope when he returns for his own.
PRAYER: Father, I pray for those who are struggling with a variety of hurt and anguish today. Evil seems to have engulfed us of late. Help us, even in the midst of tragedy to feel your peace here on earth. Amen.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14
It’s important to remember that angels, while possessing some supernatural powers, aren’t omniscient or all powerful, as the Father God is. While we know little about them, we do know that they exist simply to be God’s messengers, God stewards. They, like us can’t see into the future like the Father can so they rely on the signs and wonders of God in the same way that we do.
Some believe that God created the Heavens and the earth, then angels. But something was missing. He saw the earth, he saw the universe, he saw all the life he’d created and still longed for one thing to make his world complete. That’s why he came up with the idea of man. Once Man was created he realized that man needed a partner, someone he too could love. So he created woman. A beautiful union of love, respect and teamwork came from that marvelous creation…until the fall damaged it with sin of course.
Can you imagine what the angels were doing all through history? They saw Adam’s power, courage and valor. They marveled at Eve’s beauty, quiet strength, devotion and compassion. No doubt they shuttered when the couple chose to willfully disobey their master. After all, they saw his power, his majesty and his love better than mortal man could.
Then there was Jesus. Our mortal minds can’t wrap around Jesus. He was there of course, all through the Old Testament years. He was God’s son. I wonder if they called him Junior? Okay, maybe a stretch, but it’s important to realize that the angels knew Jesus long before he became a baby in the manger. They knew him their creator. They saw his power and majesty as all throughout the history of the world he tended to the affairs of God’s kingdom. He was God’s son. He was deity, he was the King!
The Angels most likely knew from the start that God had a plan to bring mankind back into the relationship he’d had in the garden. They’d seen him walk with Adam and Eve. Perhaps he even told them something like, “When I’m walking with them I don’t want to be disturbed.” The Angels learned about God’s extreme love by watching his relationship with mankind.
It’s no wonder then that the angels burst into praise and wonderment when they saw Jesus in the manger. We saw a baby, a tiny helpless, dependent infant. The angels saw an almighty, all powerful Creator God taking on human flesh. Now that he was there the angels knew things would be different. They praised God not only for this plan, but for the adventure that lay ahead for mankind.
PRAYER: All praise and honor to you almighty Father! The reality that you became mere man so that we could learn to love you is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for loving me enough to stoop to my level so I can rise in your strength. Amen.
Unfortunately, there have been several mass shootings of late. In 1999 the Columbine shootings awakened us to the horrific possibility that schools weren’t as safe as we once thought. Since then we’ve realized no place, not even houses of worship, are safe anymore.
But this one hit hard. Maybe it’s because of the age of the victims. Perhaps it’s because to have this happen so close to Christmas dashes our hopes, and taints the holiday most looked forward to by our babies. Maybe it’s because it is one more reminder of the frailty and uncertainty of life.
Hopefully it drives each of us to appreciate the ones we love and tell them and show them so…often. Every time we part company with them, we need to be reminded in some small way that this could be the last time we see them. No drama there, no attempt to preach doomsday logic. Just a quiet reminder to show those we love that we love them.
My prayers, of course go out to the parents and families of the victims. The brothers and sisters that won’t see their brother or sister this side of heaven. The grandparents that won’t get to see that Christmas Concert this year (and it’s the first one they’d have). The Aunts and Uncles who just lost their pride and joy. Simply can’t imagine the pain.
My prayer is for the teachers and staff of Sandy Brook. Those of in education know that it doesn’t matter if you are the class instructor, the janitor or the cook, you play a vital role in the life of the Kids. At any given moment you are a parent, a coach, and encourager, a disciplinarian, a doctor, a counselor, a pastor, a playmate, and perhaps most importantly, a friend…a best friend at times.
People choose to go into education to make a difference in lives of children. We don’t go into it for the pay (which isn’t that great) or so we can ‘have summers off (which rarely happens) or for status. We work long hours, struggle with increasing government regulations and paper work; with increasing scrutiny by parents, politicians and the community at large; when the kids fail it’s our fault, when they succeed it’s their determination that does it.
We don’t just deal with sick kids, scared kids, abused kids, violent kids, smart kids, and kids with special needs. We become a part of their family system. Maybe that’s why this one hit so hard for me.
I still believe in God’s love although sometimes I question why He allows these things to happen. My prayers are for comfort and strength for the victims’ families. But most of all right now, I pray for the teachers, and for all the 1000’s of teachers across this country that are hurting over this. God Bless you. You do a service everyday that many can’t do. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your love.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
The Angels did much more than take away the fear of the Shepherds. They went a step further and offered hope. That’s important because too many times the answers society offers promise to take away our fear, but offer nothing in return.
It’s easy to sit around the coffee cup and redefine the problems and discuss possible solutions, or ‘if only’s’ but once the coffee is gone and we walk back out into the world, nothing has changed. In fact, they can sometimes be worse.
While the answers the world gives offer no lasting solutions, God not only takes away our fear, he replaces it with hope! The Angels announced two things to the shepherds that night on the hillside. One was consolation (Fear not) the other hope (a Savior is born). Their song created consolation in the midst of fear and hope in the midst of darkness.
Look up the meaning of Savior to see the hope that was offered through the babe in the manger. The Savior, Jesus Christ offers us:
- Safety: not safety from trails because he promised us there would be trials, but safety in the midst of trials!
- Deliverance: We are delivered from the power of sin in our lives, the guilt of our past; the enemy of our soul.
- Preservation: Closely tied to safety, we are preserved in the trials of life. Jesus refers to us as the ‘salt of the earth.’ Salt not only adds flavor, it preserves against the elements.
- New Life: The old is gone, the new has come. Jesus didn’t come to remodel us; he came to change us completely, to make us new creations.
- Escape: The enemy of our soul doesn’t mind if we are spiritual as long as he can keep us bound to our past and failures. Jesus broke the bonds. Just as Peter walked out of prison a free man, we can repent and walk away from the bondage of our past through the Savior.
- Someone to confide in: Each of us has skeletons in the closet. Those fears, worries, doubts, hateful feelings that hide in the inner corners of our hearts, waiting to attack us in our weakness. When there is no one else to talk to we can come to Jesus. He listens without judgment and accepts us without condition.
- Hope: That’s really all the above in a nutshell. The tantalizing things of this world (relationships, money, status and power) can’t offer us the one thing we all long for. Hope for tomorrow.
To the shepherds the song of hope came through the angels. To us it comes through forgiveness, the cross, the Word and the family of God.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for the Angel Song of Hope in the midst of our darkness. Thank you for Jesus who goes beyond all our fears to offer us unending hope. In the name of our Savior, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 