Look for the Helpers, Glimmers of light in the Darkness.

Christmas Bells

-Longfellow

    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!

Lately, the world has felt like a dark place full of suffering, hate, bigotry, and death.   The morning news is full of lives ended in violence – lights snuffed out before their time.   My heart is broken.  Then stories of suffering refugees, abused children, and fear of terrorist bombards my Facebook feed.  It’s getting hard to look at it, but I feel guilty to turn my head…but what can I do?

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!"

The only thing I can do is share the light in the darkness by loving others, opening my heart, my arms, and my home to the suffering.   Perhaps by living this way…we can make a positive impact.  Perhaps God can work through us.  Hopefully I can be one of the helpers Mr. Roger’s spoke about.

 "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."  Mr. Rogers (www.fredrogers.org)

God has not abandoned this world.  He is present and still at work.  He moves in my heart, and he moves in all hearts.  In all humankind, there are glimmers of a kinder spirit – a more loving world.  You just have to look to see them.  

    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."