I heard...

"...I heard the bells
on Christmas
day
their old
familiar carols
play
wild and sweet
the words repeat
of peace on Earth
good-will to men...
...and
in despair
i bowed my head
there is no peace
on Earth
I said
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,
good-will to men."
-from the poem/song "I heard the Bells on Christmas day"
I kept listening to this today after hearing the news from Connecticut, a version by Casting Crowns
the story of the song is here

A dark day, of a bright season
I heard the news ring out
today
someone else
killed kids today
while part of me
can't wait to see
The Hobbit
tomorrow
after the news
today
I can't wait
for The Return of the King
And as the news sinks in
and hurts
from core
to skin
How do we explain
to kids
what we don't understand
"smart people"
will try to tell me why
part of me
doesn't wanna understand
the rational
of killing fellow man
a high school friend's
t-shirt flashes cross
my memory's movie screen
"save the humans"
a whale pickets
can't we occupy
decency?
love?
how
oh great
and High King-God
do we reach
those who could do this next?
how do we rescue them
so we don't need rescued from them?
when will you come
again?
we need you
to come
to tell tanks
their job is being phased out
to put death
out of business
...
days like today
I long
to see Death
at the unemployment office
"sorry, sir
you benefits
are being denied"
[with heavy heart,
while holding onto the end of The Book]
b.e. noll








Jesu, at times like this.... I really do wonder
how long [lyrics]

My friend Byron posted a link on his facebook page of sad songs at Christmas.
Snow Angels by Over the Rhine




...so many thoughts about today. On a personal note, I was hoping for a phone call about a job...that never came. I felt really bummed about my day & myself... until the news came... & washed my "personal hiccup" away.
Neal Morse does a great job of sharing darkness in his "story albums". Yet, he never ends them in the darkness.
So, if you don't mind, I'd like to do the same...
Over the Rhine - New Redemption song
This post is mostly about a random act of violence...so, as I posted on facebook, I'll end this post with a random act in the opposite direction...