“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!”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Whether you believe in God or not, you cannot deny that the average person is more willing to extend a hand to the needy and put their best foot forward during the holiday season. We want to feel good at Christmas. We want to reminisce, create new memories, and more than any other time of year, we are hoping for a little more joy and warmth.
I’ve often said that humanity and hardship are old companions. We can see that hardship is at the forefront of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s mind as he wrote Christmas Bells during the American Civil War. I have found myself, like him, questioning the goodness of humanity. I think it is very easy to feel small and useless when we look at the landscape of the world and see the hurt and the tragedy people are enduring.
What can I do to ease the world’s suffering? What can anyone do to ease the world’s suffering? I am a firm believer in the fact that, although we cannot save the whole world, each one of us, as individuals, can save the world we are called to save. When we think of saving the world, we often think of moments of grandeur or heroism, but the truth is that the world is often saved by little moments, one life at a time. Our world is saved by these moments that may go unnoticed by everyone else.
For one this might look like a classroom of 25 children and the ability to see the one child who carries a bit more sorrow in their eyes. One understanding teacher can give a child enough hope to push through the darkness. I would know. I was that child. For another, saving the world might look like meal deliveries during the holiday season. For a struggling mother to receive a meal she probably couldn’t otherwise afford means she is seen. It is a reminder that her struggles are not going unnoticed by God. I would know. I was that mother.
I, for one, do believe in God, and I am thankful for the yearly reminder that God sent love in human form to a world that did nothing to earn it. I try to remember this as I go about my life. Love isn’t about what we have done right or earned. Love is freely given, and it is an encounter with unconditional love that often changes the course of someone’s life.
Merry Christmas! I would love to hear from you! Please reach out to me at my website, HSHaygood.com, or find me on Facebook under HS Haygood.
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