Ring Out the Darkness of the Land

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hollyntheicy

 

 

Brief, on a flying night,
From the shaken tower,
A flock of bells take flight,
And go with the hour.

Like birds from the cote to the gales,
Abrupt—O hark!
A fleet of bells set sails,
And go to the dark.

Sudden the cold airs swing.
Alone, aloud,
A verse of bells takes wing
And flies with the cloud.
~Alice Christiana Thompson Meynell  – “Chimes” from more Collected Poems

 

 

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Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
~Lord Alfred Tennyson

 

 

iceencasedrose

 

 

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I know there are still communities where the New Year begins at midnight with church bells ringing, just as in days of old.

Here in the frontier of the rural Pacific Northwest, all we can hear from our farm are gun shots, bottle rockets and (what sounds like) explosions of cannon fire.

So much for larger hearts and kindlier hands.

Even without being able to hear wild bells ringing out the old and ringing in the new, let us begin with harmony and manners and care for our neighbors, abandoning a thousand years of war to find a thousand years of peace.

Let the darkness make room for the Light that was and is and will ever be.

Amen!

 

 

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8 thoughts on “Ring Out the Darkness of the Land”

  1. Amen to everything you said! Happiest New Year to you and all the fellow readers, may 2018 bring many blessings and bountiful joy to each and everyone! In Jesus’ name I pray to the glory of the Father!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Tennyson’s poems never disappoint. His piece that you chose for today’s meditation is no exception. He just about covers everything – and then you fill it all out beautifully, Emily.
    Your brief comment re ‘care for our neighbors ‘ sent me to my Scripture notes from years ago to re-read Luke’s version of The Good Samaritan (Lk 10-25-37). When one hearer of the parable asked Jesus whom He considered was a ‘neighbor’ to the victim, Jesus replied, ‘The one who treated him with mercy.’
    In another commentary that I read at the same time, written by the late Henri Nouwen, he was asked that same question. Nouwen’s reply was, ‘My neighbor is the one who crosses the road for me!.

    Through our relentless mass media reaching into our homes 24/7 with video and witness accounts of the unparalleled human suffering that is occurring, our personal description and identification of who our neighbor is changes dramatically. We know, however, that we cannot personally solve all the causes of the world’s suffering. Yes, of course, we beseech God for His help, we donate to worthy causes…. But we surely can, and must, reach out personally to our neighbors, those we know and those whom we do not know — next door, down the street, in our place of worship and business, in the store checkout lines, in our community. That is a start. The Lord will guide us in this, and further outreach because He is the only one who can read our hearts and He has first-hand knowledge of human suffering through the Incarnate God, Jesus the Christ.

    ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ (MT 9:37-38; LK 10:2).

    For you and your family, dear Emily, I include you in my daily prayer that our God will continue to make His Spirit’s Presence and inspiration known to you, sustain you in health and peace as you labor on in your ministries and in your outreach to all who hunger for His Word, His Peace, His Hope that you bring to us each day in your writings and in your always- appropriate pictures.

    Love, Alice

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Thank you, Alice, for all the blessings you bring me, not only in your consistent daily reading and your generous words, but for your heart felt prayers. You keep crossing the road for me, year after year! Love to my Albany neighbor from your Everson neighbor and blessed New Year! Emily

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Amen, Emily, Amen!God bless you and yours with health, peace, joy, and love in abundance this new year.loveVictoria, one of your many fans

    Liked by 1 person

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