WEEK TWO: I HEARD THE BELLS
Even though I’m not a big fan of winter and cold, there is one thing about this season that is undeniably special: the unique hush of stillness that happens after a big snowfall. Everything seems to pause; when you step outside into nature, it’s as if everything has become insulated (like a real life snow globe) and it’s just calm. This experience seems so rare now, since everything around us seems to be going non-stop and at full volume. I bet all of us could use a moment of quiet.
If not to give us some peace away from the chaos of the holidays, we need times of stillness and quiet to hear from God more clearly…at any time of the year. God often speaks to us in very subtle and gentle ways, and it is more difficult to know the voice of God when we rarely take time to listen. How many times has it seemed like God is far away, or even absent? In reality, we’re usually the ones who have pulled away or neglected to set aside time to really give space for the Spirit to speak to us.
The holidays can be tough for a lot of reasons, but the poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow tells the story of someone who had every reason to feel completely hopeless at Christmas. He had experienced loss, grief, and tragedy (all in the midst of war), and he was watching his son fight for his life when he heard the church bells chiming for Christmas in the distance. Those bells served as a reminder to him of God’s presence and the hope of the holiday, and he was inspired to write words like “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.” His poem inspired several people to compose music to his words, and we now have multiple versions of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” with completely different melodies! (In case anyone cares, I like the Johnny Marks version the best.) The song is still played a lot at this time of year, but most casual listeners might miss the deep theological meaning behind it.
I hope that in times of hardship and despair, I can be like that poet. I want to be able to listen for reminders of God’s presence. I want to be sensitive to any signs of comfort and peace that God might send my way. This Christmas, be sure to make some space to see what the Spirit might be saying to you. It might come through scripture, lyrics to a Christmas carol, or even the sound of a bell.