I heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing
Like a choir they're singing
In my heart I hear them
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

But the bells are ringing
Like a choir singing
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang 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

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

And the bells they're ringing
Like a choir they're singing
And with our hearts we'll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they're ringing?
The life the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men

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Casting Crowns is really an incredible band.  They are without a doubt my favorite Christian band.  It seems like every album they put out is meaningful and challenging, and just plain old good.  I'm glad they have a Christmas album, because I would feel bad leaving such a great band off a list of songs I like.  I like this song as it is, but the version on the Casting Crowns Christmas CD is really awesome.

The original words for I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem entitled Christmas Bells.  He wrote the poem in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, almost 150 years ago.  Yet how true do these words still ring today?  Our country is in the middle of a war once again, and just last night, I heard some statistics showing that not only does slavery still exist across the world, and across our own country, but that there are more people held in slavery of some kind today then during the Civil War.  It really does seem as if there is nothing new under the sun.  But, just as sin and depravity is always present, so is God.  He is not dead, and He isn't asleep.  The words 'Christmas' and 'peace' seem to go hand in hand many times, but really, what about Christmas is actually peaceful these days?  There is no peace on earth, you can't even go shopping peacefully during the Christmas season?  What does peace look like?  I think Christmas is a time to remember that Christ came for individuals, and that its our job as His children to look to Him for our peace, and to measure it by the peace we have in our own lives, not by the state of the world.