I Heard the Bells

Tragedies in life often lead to the most poignant poetry and/or lyrics for songs. Such is true for another favorite Christmas carol: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

What’s the story behind this beautiful song? What is the tragedy that birthed it?

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s beloved wife, Fanny, was the victim of a tragic accident at their Cambridge, Massachusetts home on July 9, 1861. Perhaps she was adding a log to the fireplace or fixing a meal at the cookstove. We don’t know those exact details. Fanny’s clothing caught fire, and she was severely burned. She died the next day. Henry and their six children were inconsolable.

Two years later, Henry’s son, Charles, was injured, fighting for the Union Army during the Civil War. The young man was nearly paralyzed and faced a long, painful recovery.

On Christmas day, 1863, Longfellow sat down to write a poem. He tried to capture the struggle of grief in the country and in his own heart. A recurring theme summarized several stanzas, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Isn’t that the cry of all our hearts as we observe the atrocities in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and in our own communities? Don’t we hope for peace as the USA tries to recover from the lies of a vicious campaign? Can we repeat those ‘wild and sweet’ words and ask God to heal our land? To return us to being people who care for the single moms, the trafficked refugees, the human beings who have been labeled as ‘not enough.’

Take a moment to listen to this beautiful carol, performed by St. Peter’s Choir. Then pray your own prayer for peace.

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