The Bell Tolls

Introduction: The Silence of Injustice

Every year, as Christmas approaches, I return to a hymn that speaks deeply into the realities of our world. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day wasn’t written during a time of peace or joy. It was penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during the Civil War, after losing his wife in a tragic accident and watching his son nearly die in battle. In his despair, Longfellow heard the Christmas bells ring out, and he captured the tension many of us feel:

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, goodwill to men.

How many shiny happy Christmas songs do you hear that sound like that? And yet, doesn’t that resonate with our world today? We see violence, corruption, suffering, and injustice. It feels as though the cries for hope and justice are swallowed up in silence. Like Longfellow, we bow our heads in despair, wondering if peace is even possible.

The prophet Isaiah knew this silence well. They were a people walking in darkness—a land overshadowed by injustice, oppression, and fear. Yet into that silence, God rings out a promise: a light will dawn, and justice will prevail. This promise is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. The bells of Christmas proclaim the dawn of justice, silencing the silence of injustice forever.

Darkness and Despair: Injustice Silences Hope

Isaiah 9:2 CSB

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

Isaiah begins with an image we can all understand: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Darkness represents the deep brokenness of this world—the sin, injustice, and hopelessness that weigh us down. For Israel, this darkness was oppression by foreign powers, corrupt leadership, and spiritual emptiness. For us, it’s the violence in our cities, the cries of the oppressed, the divisions that tear us apart, and the quiet personal pain we carry.

Darkness silences hope. It convinces us that nothing will change, that evil will always win. It mocks the songs of peace and goodwill, just as Longfellow wrote: "Hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men."

But Isaiah doesn’t stop with the darkness. He proclaims, "A light has dawned." God will not let the silence of injustice have the final word. He promises that His light will break through the darkness and that hope will be restored. The birth of Jesus is that light. It’s the declaration that God is not distant or indifferent but actively working to bring justice to the world.

The Bells of Justice: A Child Is Born

Isaiah 9:6 CSB

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

How does God answer the darkness? With a child.

Isaiah’s prophecy declares: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”God’s response to injustice isn’t a military conqueror or a political reformer. It’s a baby—humble, vulnerable, yet full of divine power. This child is Jesus, and His birth is God’s declaration that justice has come.

Isaiah gives Him titles that reveal the nature of His reign:

Wonderful Counselor: Jesus brings wisdom where the world has confusion. His guidance restores what is broken.

Mighty God: He is the divine warrior who fights for justice and righteousness.

Everlasting Father: He cares tenderly for His people, defending the weak and the forgotten.

Prince of Peace: His reign brings wholeness and harmony—not just the absence of conflict but the presence of God’s perfect justice.

The hymn captures this truth beautifully:

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.”

The birth of Jesus is the resounding peal of God’s justice. It declares that injustice will not have the final word. The light has come, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

The Kingdom of Justice and Peace

Isaiah 9:7 CSB

The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Isaiah’s prophecy doesn’t stop with the child’s birth. It points to His eternal reign:

*"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."

This is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus didn’t just come to be born in Bethlehem. He came to establish a kingdom where justice and peace reign forever. His kingdom is not like earthly kingdoms that rise and fall, built on power and greed. His kingdom is eternal, built on righteousness, compassion, and truth.

The bells of Christmas still ring today, proclaiming this kingdom. But the question is: are we listening? Are we living as citizens of this kingdom, seeking to embody Christ’s justice and peace in our lives? Are we allowing His light to shine through us in a world still overshadowed by darkness?

Conclusion: Hear the Bells Ring

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, goodwill to men.

This is the message of Christmas. The birth of Jesus is the resounding bell that declares: Justice is here. Darkness cannot overcome the light. Despair will not silence hope.

So this Christmas Day, let us hear the bells ring out again. Let us remember that Jesus’ birth is God’s declaration of justice and peace in a broken world. And let us carry the sound of those bells into a weary world, living as witnesses to the light of Christ.

PRAY: Father, we thank You for the light of Christ, which breaks into our darkness. Help us to hear the bells of Your justice and peace, and to live as bearers of that hope in the world. Amen.