In England on Christmas eve boys and girls and men and women go about
the streets singing Christmas carols, or songs, at the doors of people's
houses, and the people for whom they sing give them tokens of their
good-will. The first verse of one of the oldest and best Christmas
carols is as follows:
"God rest you merry, gentlemen;
Let nothing you dismay,
For Christ was born of Mary
Upon a Christmas Day."
That is a very beautiful carol, but there is one still more beautiful.
It is the one the angels sang the night that Christ was born:
"Glory to God in the highest,
Peace on earth to men of good-will."
This means that people who have good-will in their hearts toward other
people will have peace on earth. And how very true that is! People
generally act toward us the same way in which we act toward them. If we
are cross, others are cross; but if we are warmhearted and loving, then
people are warmhearted toward us. It is just like seeing your face in a
looking-glass. If you frown, the face in the mirror will frown. If your
face is smiling, the one in the mirror will be smiling. That is another
way of saying that you get what you give.
Christ came into the world to teach us how to have good-will to men, and
from our good-will to get happiness. Any boy or girl who faithfully
tries to be like Christ, and to do as he believes Jesus would do if He
were in his place, will grow to have this good-will in his heart. Then
some day he will sing as the angels did, "Glory to God in the highest,"
for he will know God's peace. Christ said, "Blessed are the
peace-makers."
Here is a verse for you to take as a motto:
"Where are you going? Never mind.
Just follow the road that says, 'Be kind,'
And do the duty that nearest you lies,
For that is the road to Paradise."