Word for Word - Pastor Steve Oden

“Peace on Earth, God’s Will  to Men”

There is an interesting story behind  the poem by Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow composed on Christmas day in 1863 during the American Civil War. The poem, “Christmas Bells,”  tells of his own despair upon hearing the ringing of Christmas church bells. Two years prior, Longfellow’s personal peace was shaken when his second wife of eighteen years, to whom he was very devoted, was tragically burned in a fire. 

Aside from his own personal losses, nationally, brother was against brother, neighbor against neighbor. Even his own son Charles had enlisted for the Union without his blessing;  seven months later Charles was severely wounded, just  shortly before “Christmas Bells” was written. By the time the war ended in 1865, it proved to be the costliest war ever on American soil. With hundreds of thousands of casualties, millions more injured, and the population and territory of the South devastated,  Longfellow listened to the Christmas bells, pondered, and then penned the words, “And in despair I bowed my head; ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said; ‘For hate is strong that mocks the song, of peace on earth, goodwill to men.’”  

In 1872 the  poem was set to music. We now know the famous Christmas carol as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” As always, with God’s will,  ways and Word, the poem/song ends on a positive note! 

“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, goodwill to men.’”  But, until Jesus returns, there will not be universal peace on earth. 

One of Jesus’ titles is “Prince of Peace.”  He alone can bring the peace that we’re all so desperately needing and longing for. Our sins separate us from our Father in Heaven, for He is holy; when we come to His Son Jesus and receive the gift of forgiveness through His blood and cross, we are receiving the gift of eternal life. Subsequently, we receive the peace of forgiveness by being restored back to Him. This is the most profound peace a human being can experience. As this peace rules our life, it affects all other relationships - peace and goodwill among men. Conflict comes from the many forms of darkness that rules through men’s darkened hearts. Each heart must individually submit to the Prince of Peace.

What  I see in the words from Luke 2:14 as the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of the King, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men,” is ultimately that the “goodwill” is “God’s will.”  God’s will is that we come to personally know and receive this newborn King so that we will be born again in our hearts. And as Jesus comes into our lives, goodwill to our fellow man should abound. Looking at our fellow man through the eyes of God’s love, we will think the thoughts of God and thoughts of goodwill toward all men. One person at a time, this world will be a much more peaceful and better place.  Peace on earth, “God’s will” towards men.

Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called sons of God.”

Jesus alone is true peace.  May you know and experience the Prince of Peace this Christmas holiday season and always.

Steve Oden
New Life Christian Church
Waukon