Scrooged

“There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not here anymore.” ~ The Spirit of Christmas Present (“Scrooge” 1970)

In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. It was one of a series of successful Christmas books by Dickens which he described as “a whimsical sort of masque intended to awaken loving and forbearing thoughts.”  There have been at least ten movie versions of this classic tale, the first in 1938 and the most recent being released in 2009.  These include a Muppet, a Mickey Mouse and a 3D version. 

Why do we keep returning to this endearing tale of the reformation of the irritable miser, Ebenezer Scrooge?  It is because, beneath the sarcasm and cruel remarks (“then let them die and reduce the surplus population”), he is us.  He is obsessed with work and the acquisition of money.

Scrooge is defined by his work to the point of sacrificing his one true love. “And as your business prospered, Ebenezer Scrooge, a golden idol took possession of your heart, as Alice said it would” (The Spirit of Christmas Past).

Most of us define ourselves more by our work than by any other single factor. 

When the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation announced that victims' names would be displayed, without specifying the company they worked for, a group of their families denounced the plan, saying it robbed victims “of the human qualities that rallied and sustained the nation.”  

Why do we do this?  Why don’t people ask to be identified as “a parent” or as “a Christian”? Why do we define ourselves by our jobs rather than by who we are or what we believe?

First, because it is the easiest way to measure our success at living life – a way of keeping score.  Rather than being happy, we try to quantify our happiness: i.e. I have a really good job where I spend a lot of time.  It helps me have more money, a bigger house, a nicer car and more stuff; therefore I must be happy. 

On the other hand, Jesus was essentially an itinerant preacher from a poor family who lived, on the “other side of the tracks” in Galilee.  He died a humiliating and excruciating death.  How would you measure his success?

Second, it is our way of exercising control.  If I can acquire it, I can control it. Money, power, possessions and prestige are manifestations of successful living which seem to allow us to say, “I have got this life thing licked.” 

Jesus, however, reminds us we have no control.  “But God said to him, ' You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' (Luke 12:20). 

This is the important lesson Ebenezer learns on a snowy Christmas Eve. Scrooge’s obsessive quest for success, defined by his work and accumulation of riches and wealth, does not garner him happiness. Quite the opposite. Staring into his own open grave, he realizes that his life, which is filled with success and money, has been empty. I doubt any of us would choose a tombstone inscription which reads, “I should have spent more time at the office.” 

After this epiphany, what changes on Christmas morning for Ebenezer?  He is just as wealthy.  He still owns his business, to which he will undoubtedly return the next day.  What makes him go from miserable and miserly to merry and generous overnight? 

HE BECOMES A STEWARD!!!  A Christian Steward is “One who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord” (Stewardship, A Disciple’s Response).

Scrooge accepts God’s gift of life gratefully and, more importantly, he recognizes the gift of the “opportunity to change” his life, a gift which all of us receive.  For the rest of the story Ebenezer goes about “cherishing and tending” his many gifts “in a responsible and accountable manner” and “sharing them in justice and love with others.”

He begins by making amends to those he has harmed, starting with his nephew.  As the story comes to an end, he sets about restoring Bob Crachit’s life and livelihood. And, we are pretty much assured he will make sure Tiny Tim gets the necessary medical attention he needs.   

To paraphrase Tiny Tim “God has blessed us, every one.”  How will we define ourselves this coming year?  More importantly, how will we keep Christmas in our hearts 24/7/365? 

Dear God: remind us that you have blessed us, every one.

“Mortal! We Spirits of Christmas do not live only one day of our year. We live the whole three-hundred and sixty-five. So is it true of the Child born in Bethlehem. He does not live in men's hearts one day of the year, but in all days of the year. You have chosen not to seek Him in your heart. Therefore, you will come with me and seek Him in the hearts of men of good will.” ~The Spirit of Christmas Present (“A Christmas Carol” 1951)

 © 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 James E. Carper.  All rights reserved.

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