“Ding, dong! Ding, dong!”
It was our first night in Germany and I was preparing to go
to bed. It was quiet in the four story house where Bobby, Maria and the kids
lived and it was approaching midnight. I was tired and jet-lagged. The cuckoo
clock suddenly came alive with its song “Edelweiss.” This is similar to our
clock and sits in the foyer up on the wall. It had just banged out 12 staccato
hammer hits to announce it was midnight. I knew it was late and hurried into
the bathroom to brush my teeth. In the quietness that followed, I heard a soft
echo: twelve more dongs as if bells were ringing from somewhere outside the
window.
I remember Bobby showing me the church that sat high up as if
watching over Otterbach. “That must be where the bells are coming from,” I
thought. From that point on, I listened for them at night when it was quiet.
Besides ringing on the hour, they also rang on every quarter hour, too.
Two weeks later, we went for a walk on Christmas Eve. It was
an unusually warm and sunny day. (No white Christmas here, this year, although
it had flurried a few time since Bob and I arrived.) We walked about three
miles all the way down a long trail that started at the “Rathouse” or town hall
building. Little Bobby and Alexis went with us on their bikes weaving in and
out and all around on the sidewalk. Alexis had trouble because she just learned
how to ride and fell many times. I had to help her sometimes by walking with
her as she held up her bike. We hiked past a flowing brook, streets, houses and
hills all empty of anything but grass, the trees barren and the ponds stripped
of all life except for the occasional sparrow. People came up to us occasionally
jogging or walking too and we exchanged greetings with them.
On the way back, it was about a quarter to four and suddenly
the church bells started ringing loudly. It went on constantly for about 10
minutes. Out of the houses of Otterbach, people started to stroll to church
dressed in their best clothes. We waved at them and they waved back. They must’ve
going to Christmas Eve services. On Christmas Day, the bells tolled loudly too
several times to announce more services.
It reminded me of a long ago time when the church was the
center of a community and all were expected to gather there and worship.
It also reminded me of this song: (Thank you, Phil Sarlo!)
Christmas
Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
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." 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!"
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
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." 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!"
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
