I Heard the Bells: Carry Peace Outward, One Relationship at a Time

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is often remembered for its familiar carol refrain, but its deeper power lies in the tension it refuses to ignore. Written during the Civil War, after Longfellow’s own life had been marked by grief and loss, the poem does not begin with naïve cheer. It begins with bells ringing out a message that feels almost impossible to believe: “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Longfellow immediately names the disconnect many of us still feel today. He describes a world “blackened, cursed by hate,” where violence and injustice seem to mock the promise of peace. This honesty is part of what makes the poem enduring. It does not deny the brokenness of the world or the reality of division. Instead, it gives voice to the despair we feel when headlines, social media, or even neighborhood conflicts suggest that goodwill has gone silent.

But the poem does not end there. The bells keep ringing.

That persistence matters.

The bells are not distant symbols; they are rooted in place—church towers, town squares, and communities where people live side by side. Bells are communal instruments. You cannot ring them alone. They call neighbors together, marking shared moments of sorrow, celebration, and hope.

In Longfellow’s poem, the bells become a reminder that peace is not merely a political ideal or a global aspiration. It is something that must be practiced locally, among people who can hear one another’s lives.

When Longfellow writes, “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,” he shifts the poem from despair to responsibility. The message of peace does not fail because it is untrue; it falters when people stop carrying it into their daily relationships. Peace on earth begins with goodwill next door. It shows up when neighbors choose to listen rather than assume, to help rather than withdraw, to stay engaged rather than retreat behind closed doors.

In every community, there are moments when it feels easier to believe that hate is too strong and division too deep. Yet the bells still ring—through small acts of kindness, shared meals, borrowed tools, and conversations across differences. These ordinary gestures may seem insignificant compared to the world’s noise, but they are how peace becomes audible.

Longfellow’s poem ultimately reminds us that hope is not passive. The bells ring whether we respond or not. The question is whether we, as neighbors, will live in a way that makes their message believable. In choosing goodwill in our streets, schools, and neighborhoods, we become the echo of those Christmas bells—carrying peace outward, one relationship at a time.

Written by David L. Burton

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Take the Engaged Neighbor pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge at https://nomoregoodneighbors.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special invitations to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.com or burtond@missouri.edu. You can also visit his website at https://engagedneighbor.com.