Sublime....Good Will to All Men

Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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."


As I awoke this morning, I was aware that today being Christmas, the pace has slowed, the world seems so quiet, that the possibility of quiet can exist on this planet at least sometimes.I was thinking about a favorite topic of mine, "goodness".Sometimes we desperately want to do something very good, for ourselves, for others that is good, meaningful, sublime. Sometimes despite our best efforts that is not enough to change the course of human suffering. I think.... that is where "good will " steps up to the plate. Sometimes the knowing that we are wished well from the bottom of one's heart in transformational. So on this quiet Christmas day, I wish all inhabitants of this planet a wish of sweet sublime good will.