Peace on Earth
“For unto us a child is born . . .” (Isaiah 9:6).
Since childhood, I’ve reveled in the spirit of Christmas. So it should come as no surprise that I would encounter impactful experiences during this time of year. One of those events took place a little over 20 years ago when I witnessed a live performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” In the theatre the audience sat riveted through the nearly three hour performance: dance, music and chorus, lights and minimal sets. The late afternoon experience was exquisitely and seamlessly danced by the Carolina Ballet and choreographed by Robert Weiss. At the end, there was a breathtaking silence before the audience erupted into applause, standing. It was unforgettable and still generates a feeling of awe and exultation. A new life. A new world. Hope.
I bring this up not only to attest to the value of the arts but to consider the importance of living a loved life now. God came into the world as a child and as breathing human beings we participate in that event of love not just at Christmas but every day. Imagine if we could see everyone we meet as beings of love and light, sometimes not always expressing that essence, but holding it inside, nevertheless. Christ’s many names: Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace and others bear the power of love to transmit a vitality way beyond our imaginations and current situations. These names speak of inclusivity and togetherness. Perhaps that was what feminist, social activist, professor and author bell hooks (1952-2021) was thinking when she penned these words
“It is love that allows us to survive whole.”
So what is this love that we are expected to emanate? Every major religion exhorts its followers to love, forgive, and express gratitude. It seems so simple, but I know that often, my preconceived idea of the outcome of a situation interferes with my ability to express unconditional love. Does that ever happen to you? Struggling with my better self sometimes creates messy scenarios. But, why struggle when the love that is to be expressed is already within?
We are embodied in the flesh just as Jesus was our model for wholeness. Expressing ourselves through a life of Love does require commitment and attention, especially in the midst of a too busy lifestyle. Our hearts know it’s possible to express the essence of our deepest selves, but, admittedly that’s not always the way our interactions take place.
The Christmas Day reminder of an innocent child, born to a young woman, God coming to us as a baby is cause to reflect on what’s possible in the world, if we choose to see. Richard Rohr, respected teacher and author views love as that part of us that signifies basic respect and dignity as functioning human beings. These are his words:
Love is who you are. When you don’t live according to love, you are outside of being real. When you love, you are acting according to your deepest being, your deepest truth. You are operating according to your dignity.”
Imagine a world like that!
In closing I share with you one of my favorite Christmas carols, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” s rendered here in its original version. It is a gift worth giving yourself, a contemplative moment to honor the concept of love within you and the love that exists in the world. The carol is based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “Christmas Bells.” Written in 1863 grieving the loss of his wife to burns from a house fire and son to war, words of pain poured forth from Longfellow as well as elements of faith and hope. It is just another example of the power of art to transcend the present and carry us into a vision for a new day that is larger than any of us.
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 household 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."
Rejoice for he is born (again), peace on earth goodwill to all.