“Ring Out, Wild Bells!”
a sermon by Kevin Fleming
Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 2016
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
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!
In days consigned to hist’ry’s page,
Came words from a prophetic sage,
In war-torn times, in words and rhymes,
To call folk back to their right minds.
He saw the bloodshed war had wrought,
His own dear son in war was shot,
He saw the loss, out-weighted the cost,
And spoke against that holocaust.
And thought how, as how the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
In churches in both North and South,
The words poured forth from preacher’s mouths,
They cried for war to end the score,
And unity they soon foreswore.
© 2016 Kevin Scott Fleming
The bells of Christmas sounded thin,
Their echo was a rancid din,
Their haunted ring, that hate was king,
Was sounded with each clapper swing.
Till 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!
The dream of peace was nearly gone,
As year by year the war wore on.
As day by day and night by night,
Humanity itself took flight.
The dream of peace had never died,
And justice would not be denied.
A peace was penned. The war would end.
And bloodshed would both sides suspend.
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!
Still, words do not a peace portend,
And words cannot turn foes to friends.
An act, a choice, soon lend their voice,
To bring an end to conflict’s noise.
As understanding leads the way,
And justice once again holds sway,
Then fear will flee, and all will see,
The world as God intends it be.
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!
The world is shifting ‘neath our feet,
In ways that are not good or mete.
The poor are crushed, the oppressed hushed,
While hatred grows e’en more robust.
The stranger is not welcome here,
As we become pawns to our fear.
Suspicion grows and bias shows
As we discover still more foes.
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!”
The words are from Longfellow’s pen,
Old, ancient words, yet new again,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.”
This Christmas we would celebrate,
We now must stop and contemplate,
Are we prepared, or are we scared,
“Of peace on earth, good will to men?”
Do we see neighbors all around,
Even though their skin be black or brown?
Are Jews and Muslims our own kin,
Strong branches of old Abram’s stem?
Are we – God’s folk on left or right –
Prepared, for on this Christmas night,
Comes One of peace, peace to increase,
And fear and hatred to release.
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.”
To live as if our God were dead,
To live a life of fear or dread,
Is to concede our sacred Creed,
And throw away what we believe.
This Child whose birth we hallow now,
With candles, carols, holly-bough,
Is God-with-us, and ever thus,
The power we can always trust.
For Christ is born to end all fear,
To bring forth peace, and love, and cheer.
We must attend and then commend
The message that the bells now send.
That though the night seems darker now,
And though we may not know just how,
God is not mocked, nor can be blocked,
The way that Bethlehem unlocked.
For unto us is born this day,
One who is life, and truth, and way,
He brings compassion, hope, and peace,
That fear and hatred ever cease.
He comes to tear down every wall,
He comes to take away all gall,
He comes to bring a song to sing,
“Of peace on earth, good will to – all!”
So, listen for the bells this night,
And let them take away all fright.
They ring with cheer, for Christ is here!
The Chosen One of God draws near!
Then light your candle in the night,
Its flame will put all fear to flight,
Fling wide the door! Let praises soar!
For now and even evermore.