Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men

Various things have conspired to make me almost depressed about the state of the world. (I don't get depressed, but I have been rather discouraged.) I hear about things in the news, read it online, pray about it in class. We've got on to current events in my Christian History class, and we read a slightly depressing book about the state of the world and Christianity for the same class. I think about Iraq and my brother being there, and the Middle East in general, and the many places where people are causing trouble over stupid things, and the Sudan, and the secular antipathy to Christians in the U.S. and Europe, and both Iran and North Korea flexing their muscles. The world's in a very sorry state. I suppose it always has been--I've just never experienced it. You grow up an innocent child, expecting the world to be as nice as your childhood (at least I did), and then suddenly your ancestors hand you a world they've helped screw up and say, "Here, this is your problem now." As Theoden says in the movie The Lord of the Rings, "What can men do against such reckless hate?"
And then I started thinking about an old Christmas song I love, and the writer's question in it suddenly rang very true:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of "Peace on earth, good will to men."

I thought how as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had run along the unbroken song
Of "Peace on earth, good will to men."

Then 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, 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."

Then ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day.
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of "Peace on earth, good will to men!"