Ebenezer
Scrooge is a significant symbol in Christmas celebrations. When we think about the stingy old humbug, we
know exactly what Christmas isn’t. That
is sad. It completely ignores Scrooge’s story. Our
symbol forgets that Charles Dickens wrote more than a couple of pages about the
old man. We remember Scrooge in chapter
one, but we forget Scrooge’s response to his visitors and thereby we forget
something key. Scrooge is not the villain
of A Christmas Carol. Instead, Scrooge is the confessed – and just
as importantly reformed – villain of A
Christmas Carol. Scrooge demonstrates
that injustice requires a villain and that one way for justice to happen is for
the villain to stop being the villain.
This
essay is best read after reading the novel and will reveal significant plot
points.
Scrooge
is a villain because he is greedy. His
response to people in poorhouses is to neglect charitable donations because he
has to pay taxes. His response to paying
his employee on Christmas Day is to require the clerk to arrive at work early on
Boxing Day. His response to his nephew’s
well wishes is to remind the nephew that he is poor and therefore has no
business saying “Merry Christmas.”
Then
the ghosts come with reminders. The
Ghost of Christmas Past reminds Scrooge that he is greedy because he is afraid
of being poor. The Ghost of Christmas
Present reminds Scrooge that his greed alienates him. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come reminds
Scrooge that money has a purpose but Scrooge misused it so people laugh at his
grave.
Other
characters stand in contrast to Scrooge. A poor and physically disabled Tiny Tim does
not wallow in self-pity. He is eager to
go to church on Christmas Eve because he hopes to remind people of Jesus, “who
made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.”
Scrooge’s nephew Frederick, meanwhile, marvels that Scrooge can be so
wealthy and still be so miserable. Frederick
celebrates Christmas, happily singing and feasting around the fire with family
and friends.
The
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has an easy job.
The previous two ghosts made their point. Scrooge sits waiting for the ghost and thanks it
for visiting. By the end of the visit,
Scrooge’s repentance is complete. He
cries, “Spirit! Hear me! I am not the
man I was. I will not be the man I must
have been but for this intercourse. Why
show me this, if I am past all hope!”
I
will grant to you that A Christmas Carol
is overly sweet at times but only if you will grant to me that I have met
actual people who are not unlike Tim and Frederick. Sure, the folks I know are real people and are
certainly more complex than the characters of this short book, but they just as
certainly demonstrate that joy is possible amongst people who struggle with
finances or health. The contrast between
the sweet Frederick and Tim and the bitter Scrooge shows readers how
fundamentally Scrooge changes.
A Christmas Carol demonstrates something important
to social justice advocates, especially for Christians who claim a God
that offers forgiveness and repentance.
The ghosts’ purpose was not to shame Scrooge, to defeat Scrooge, or to
destroy Scrooge. Their purpose was to
help Scrooge. The ghosts succeeded not
by demoralizing Scrooge, but by convincing Scrooge of a better way.
My question
after reading Oliver Twist was
whether forgiveness and social justice can co-exist. The answer of A Christmas Carol is clear. Scrooge’s
change stands out, but we cannot forget everyone else who changes as well. The other characters in the book are loving
to each other and to Scrooge (almost unbelievably so), but they still do not
overlook Scrooge’s fault. When Scrooge’s
final ghostly encounter is complete, he rushes out his front door to be part of
the community. The community welcomes
him. Forgiveness and social justice not
only can co-exist, but they must co-exist.
If the people did not forgive Scrooge, justice would not have been
complete. Scrooge would be loving,
giving, and kind but he would be the victim of people who took Scrooge’s love,
gifts, and kindness without reciprocating.
There would be a complete role reversal.
The ghosts would have more people to visit the next Christmas.
There
is a lesson here. What do we want to
happen when we call for social justice?
Do we actually want justice to come?
I’m not always sure we do. I see
this in political debate. We claim that
the opponent is wrong. We give all sorts
of reasons why the opponent is wrong. We
bask in the cheers of the people who agree that the opponent is wrong.
Buy
we do not stop. We give our opponent no
chance to say, “I’ve been persuaded.
Your argument is in fact correct and I now see it your way.” We instead continue to attack the opponent. We instead continue to define ourselves as not
the opponent. We instead accuse the
opponent of flip-flopping if they are persuaded.
Forgiveness
– acknowledging that a positive relationship can exist despite a past grievance
– is then impossible. On the surface at
least, it would seem the only purpose of a good deal of debate is to boost
respective egos. That is not
debate. That is pigheadedness.
(And
it is also arrogant. Notice that the
last three paragraphs assume that I
am correct and the opponent must be
the one to change opinion. Perhaps, but
perhaps also I am not as correct as I expect.
That is a discussion for another post and perhaps another Dickens
novel.)
There
are two questioners in A Christmas Carol. The first is Tim. He chimes, “God bless Us, Every One!” His question is, Do we join this call for blessing when “Every One” includes the
confessed Scrooge? The second is
Scrooge. His question is, If we do not think the villain can reform,
who are we talking to when we call for justice?
These
are important questions as we celebrate the birth of the God who brought
forgiveness.
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