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The Pinecone
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December 2013
f r om Don J oh n s on , K i r b y P i n e s Chap l a i n
Chaplain’s COrner
December
Vesper Serv ices
I Heard the bells on Christmas Day
December 5th
Reverend Sandra Leatherwood Clay
Superintendent of Memphis Asbury
District of the United Methodist Church
December 12th
Leon Sanderson
White Station Church of Christ
December 19th
Dr. William White
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
December 26th
No Vespers
In all this despair Longfellow wrote
about hope for both then and the future.
“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.
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!”
Many feel the despair of Wadsworth’s
day permeates ours. International
conflict, the fight against terrorism,
scandals on local and national levels,
natural disasters, economic devastation,
personal loss and tragedy, common
sense’s death, the loss of vision and
integrity. All this and more, and the
outcome of things seems deeply
questionable.
Wadsworth’s encouragement in his
Christmas carol is more relevant
than ever and something we should
personally embrace. “God is not dead,
nor doth He sleep! TheWrong shall fail,
the Right prevail…” There is hope! It
dramatically was birthed long ago in a
A
most wonderful story from this
great holiday season. On December
25th,
1864,
Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow wrote “Christmas Bells.”
The poem, slightly rearranged by John
Baptiste Calkin with music added,
became one of the season’s finest carols
titled “I Heard The Bells On Christmas
Day.”
It was a time of great distress. America
was still three months away from
General Lee’s surrender to Grant at the
Appomattox Court House on April 9th
1865. The clouds of the Civil War were
still hanging heavily over the nation.
Fanny Longfellow, Henry’s wife, had
been fatally burned in an accident in
their home. Henry’s oldest son, Charles,
was severely wounded with a bullet
passing under his shoulder blades.
far away village called Bethlehem. Into
one of the most stress filled moments
in history, the baby that brought songs
from the heavens brought also light
into darkness. He is still the hope of the
world!
In the midst of this day’s unbelievable
chaos and confusion the bells are still
ringing. Can you hear them? Their
sound reaches above the noise that
punctuates the discouragement and
despair all around.
The music that
may have been
pushed into the
background is
still there. It has
not and will not
ever stop. Peace
is still obtainable,
both personally and
otherwise. Because of
God’s power and exceptional love we
can extend good-will to all. No matter
how dark the night, joy will come in the
morning. Morning is on the way. Let
us wake up and embrace it. May this be
our greatest Christmas ever!
Till next time, Don Johnson,
Kirby Pines Chaplain
