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 thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

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.

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.

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.”

H. W. Longfellow

[Note: this poem was written during the American Civil war. Verses 4 and 5, which reflect that war, are not usually included in the popular Christmas Carol.]

Buz

A Nativity with Which Everyone Can Be Comfortable

(I am back after a couple of successive hard drive crashes and a lot of overtime.)

A friend of ours has a Nativity set which shouldn't offend anyone. It started out as a fairly common Nativity set, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, a shepherd boy and a lamb. However, somewhere along the line, baby Jesus was lost (possibly aided by a mischievous niece). So now she has Mary, Joseph, a shepherd boy and a lamb. Who could possibly be offended by that? Take Jesus away and all the controversy disappears.

That's how Christianity is ... or at least should be. I realize that there are some Christians who are controversial, not because of their connection to Jesus, but just because they are obnoxious all by themselves. They should not be. Our point of contention with the rest of the World should be our unshakable faith in Jesus, and our personal relationship with Him.

Merry Christmas.

Buz