As it's that time of year, I've started listening to some Christmas music. My current favorite is Mercy Me's Christmas album, with their rendition of "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" leading my list. You can get a listen at Amazon.com but my favorite part of the song are the lyrics. I just love the conclusion, and find it rather encouraging.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Thier old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought as now this day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rung so long unbroken song
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, goodwill to men."
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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3 comments:
I was struck by the lyric "God is not dead" as being the opposite of Nietzsche's "God is dead." Wordsworth wrote this song in 1864, and Nietzsche wrote "God is dead" in 1882. The men were contemporaries, and although there doesn't appear to be any direct relationship between the two men, it's interesting that people of that age were moved so directly to making a certain phrasing of the issue of God's existence and the nature of life.
My current favorite is "O Come O Come Emmanuel."
I too agree with Kenny. The last stanza - God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail - is very promising as the right will prevail. Regardless of how screwed this world gets, eventually good will prevail over evil. Someday.
Yeah, we'll probably do this song at church this year.
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