They were used by ancient Egyptians to worship the god Osiris. Moses, who had been educated by the priestly caste of Egypt, introduced them into Jewish religious ceremonies. Romans used them to express gratitude to their Gods by attaching them to chariots in victory processions. And they were incorporated into Christian liturgy as early as 400 by Paulinus, bishop of Nola, in the town of Campania, Italy. But rarely do we hear them in our modern cities.

Bells have had many uses throughout the ages. It was probably not until the 11th century that very large bells were in common use in church towers. One inscription on an old bell in England quaintly describes what they were used for:

Today, it is not necessary for bells to be rung by hand. Gone are the days when Quasimodo bounced from a bell rope to produce sonorous rings. Although ancient churches still use human bell ringers, carillons can control bells from one keyboard. Even digital recordings are used to transmit the sound of chimes, thus making the need for actual bells and human beings unnecessary.

When I was growing up, our family attended a United Church in Hamilton known as "the church with the singing tower." Every Sunday morning, beautiful melodies would be heard from the carillon, summoning people to worship. Unfortunately, "the church with the singing tower" soon became "the church with the silent tower"; neighbours complained that the bells prevented them from sleeping in on Sunday mornings.

Although I was not without sympathy for the tired neighbours, it was a sign of our times that the bells were silenced. I was reminded of a line in a Keith Green song - "Jesus rose from the dead and you … you can't even get out of bed." Gone were the days that people regularly attended church as a community, dropping everything and turning to worship when the bells rang.

Although we no longer live in the quaint rural communities so often portrayed in Hollywood, we shouldn't totally despair. By putting us in society in a time when church attendance is not the norm, God has given us a wonderful opportunity to be witnesses to His everlasting power.

In 1864, Henry Longfellow saw his peaceful world being torn apart by evil. During the American Civil War, he penned these immortal words to the beloved carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day":

Longfellow reminds us that, despite Satan's best efforts, heaven's bells will never be silenced. Christ will forever lead "the church with the singing tower."