December 31, 2017              God With Us                                                  

On Christmas Eve, 1863, the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat at his desk, and had an inspiration to write a poem entitled Christmas bells. But although he was able to write the first stanza, he just didn’t know how to continue, and so he slipped the poem into a desk drawer with a number of his other unfinished works, thinking he would get to it in the new year.

The new year of 1864 was a difficult year for Henry, he never got back to the poem, because so many things happened. First of all his Henry and his wife were caught in a house fire that took her life, and left him crippled and scared. Later on in the year, Henry’s son, serving in the Union army was shot and killed as well. Henry fell into a deep depression, and wrote very little, even ceasing to write in his journal for the rest of the year.

When Christmas 1964 came, many of you can imagine how sad and lonely the holidays are without those you have loved and lost. Henry was no different, and on Christmas eve he found himself at his desk looking through his unfinished poems, there he found the Christmas Bells poem he had started the previous year, but now he had something to write about.

He spoke of his year long experience with darkness, despair, and loss, of a world that mocked the idea of God and God’s love for us, and perhaps how easy it is to give into the world. But on that night, as he heard the Christmas bells ring, he was reminded how in the past year of personal tragedy, it was his faith in God, and God’s presence in his life that had helped him to get through these trials and look forward with hope to the new year. And in his minds eye, he saw the world from darkness to light, and the hope of peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

At this time, I would like to share with you four verses from that song. 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play and mild and sweet their songs repeat of peace on earth, good will to men 

And in despair, I hung 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 rang 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. 

Then ringing singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day, a voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good will to men. 

This morning our gospel lesson speaks of Simeon and the Prophetess Anna, people who had endured much more in their day. They were faithful Jews living under Roman occupation, they saw the repression of their people, the crosses along the road upon which the rebellious were hung. They endured the corruption of their faith at the hands of priests seeking political power. They both prayed for God’s presence to be revealed among them, and for God to reveal his salvation to them before they died. And then, the baby Jesus came to be dedicated to the LORD, and in that moment, they had found what they were looking for.

God had been born among them, to know their trials and sufferings, and to share the news of God’s love for all. As Simeon notes, they knew his life would not be easy, nor would he conquer and rule as the kings of this world conquer and rule. But he would be one who could free the people from the dark powers of the world, and bring into our lives, the light of God’s salvation for all who believe in him.

I believe that that is what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow came to realize on that Christmas Eve in 1964 as he sat writing the lines to what has now become the Hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” How despite his personal tragedy, God had come to be with us then, so that God could be with us now, and lead us from our darkness into the light.

As we celebrate the coming of the new year, many of us have had a year full of things to celebrate. Many of us have had illness, the loss of loved ones, or trials that have plagued us throughout the year. Still others in this new year will face tragedies and trials of their own. But I pray in this new year that we may have the faith of Simeon, Anna, and Henry, that we might realize that Christ was born to us that Christmas so long ago, so that Christ could be with us in our lives today, and forever. In that faith there is hope and joy, love and peace, and life everlasting. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ.