He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
– A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
The Ghost of Christmas present shares some home truths to Scrooge.
There are times where we all feel like Ebenezzer Scrooge, the grumpy curmudgeon in the famous Christmas tale. We hate the season for the pressure it puts on us – the pressure to spend, the pressure to socialise, the pressure to demonstrate largess.
It all seems like too much hard work at times – especially when events have happened through the year that mean you don’t like celebrating much of anything, let alone Christmas.
For Scrooge it took three ghosts to examine his past, present and future and it’s worth us taking this time of year to do the same (without the 1am wake up call from the spooks).
The Past – The past is our past, we can’t change it but our attitude to those events shape how we view our present. Christmas is a wonderful time to take stock – what things in our past are we grateful for? What things in our past hold us back from experiencing true freedom and joy?
The Present – In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge was pulled out of his self-pity about his lonely past – some events were foisted upon him, others were of his own choosing – to examine the world around him: the joy, spirit of community that happens when the world gathers for Christmas. He sees that it is family, not the amassing of material possessions, that brings a man satisfaction through the loving lens of Bob Cratchit’s family. He is also reminded of his responsibility to society when the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals the children – the boy, Ignorance and the girl, Want (Poverty). Interestingly the Ghost warns Scrooge, “Beware them both, but most of all, beware the boy.”
Christmas is a time to remember the less fortunate in our community – those who are living in “Want”. This is a wonderful opportunity to involve yourself and the family in the community – packing hampers, manning a gift wrapping stall for charity, inviting an ‘orphan’ to spend Christmas with your family, helping out at a soup kitchen. Perhaps even more importantly, and it certainly was to Dickens, beware of “Ignorance” – don’t let the meaning of Christmas get lost in the tinsel, Santa Claus and wrapping paper. Giving gifts without acknowledging the reason why we give is depressing and soul destroying and results in a society where avarice is prized and compassion is not.
The Future – The Ghost of Christmas future gave Scrooge a glimpse into a future based on the path he trod in the past and the path he mindlessly traverses in the present. It is a lonely and bleak end for a man who ‘gained the whole world, but lost his soul’.
The great news, and the message of Christmas itself, is that the future can be changed. We don’t need to be chained to the past as Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley discovered too late, to his eternal regret.
Make the choice to lay the ghosts of the past to rest, embrace the present in the spirit of community and service, and change your future so you can keep Christmas in your heart all the year round.
UPDATE:
I can’t stop thinking about this story. I’m up at 2.30am with the following:
Gold Coasters appalled by the story reported this week of a Coomera Spring primary school student brought to tears by classmates who tore up her Christmas cards, might even be more amazed that it was predicted 171 years ago.
Charles Dickens in his novella, A Christmas Carol, written in 1843 alluded to this.
In the story, the second of three ghosts who visit the misanthropic Scrooge is the Ghost of Christmas Present. This larger than life, dare I say jolly, character takes Scrooge on a celebration of Christmas – the streets of London, the impoverished coal miners of Yorkshire, the hearty sailors at sea, his nephew’s house and finally to the home of his clerk Bob Cratchit and his family.
In the numerous film and television adaptations this panorama was accompanied by the Christmas carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
when we’re all gone astray
Oh Tidings of comfort and joy
(Comfort and Joy)
Oh Tidings of comfort and joy
On their return to Scrooge’s home, the Ghost of Christmas present is old. His time on Earth is short, but he has one more message to impart. He shows Scrooge two children.
The original text is vividly realised in the 1972 Oscar-winning short film animated adaptation of A Christmas Carol as two ghoulish children – a boy and a girl.
“They are Man’s,” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. “… This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both… but most of all beware this boy.”
Christmas is a time for all of us to remember and help the less fortunate in our community – those who are living in “Want” (Poverty).
Yet Dickens placed more emphasis on the boy, Ignorance.
He saw what ignorance of the true message of Christmas meant for the individual and society as a whole. This week the whole of the Gold Coast got to see it as well.
The thoughtless actions of those ignorant primary school children can hardly come as a surprise when the origins and purpose of Christmas gets lost in the tinsel, Santa Claus and wrapping paper.
Giving gifts (and demanding gifts in return) without acknowledging the reason why we give and receive is depressing and soul destroying. It results in a society where avarice is prized and compassion is not.
This is not at all an isolated case. Just last week a colleague of mine remarked that his youngest daughter had asked why we call the day Christmas.
“Why not Santa Clause, Festival or Presents,” she asked.
Good question. What are we going to answer as a society?