The visitation by the Spirit of Christmas Present has shown me that it is difficult to write a series with continuity.
In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol the Ghost or Spirit of Christmas Present takes Ebenezer Scrooge across the city to the home of his employee Bob Cratchit. Indeed one of my favorite images is the one of Scrooge peering through the frost covered windows of the Cratchit home. On the other side he sees expressions of familial love and cheeriness amongst the Cratchit clan. Mother and children express signs of affection for their young sick brother and joy for the Christmas season. But from Mrs. Cratchit we see some disdain for Mr. Scrooge.
Is it a subtle juxtaposition to have miserly Scrooge, practically naked in his nightshirt, suffering out in the frigid cold? While on the other hand Bob and Tiny Tim, alongside mother and siblings, remove their mufflers and coats sitting at the dinner table next to the hearth with a fire blazing. The comparison is stark. The stingy man with heaps of wealth is left outside with a cold heart and all alone, while the economically struggling and sick family exhibit joy and love despite their hardships.
As Ebenezer reflects on the meaning of this visitation, the Spirit reveals to him beneath his cloak two ashen and sullen faced children. With the appearance of death on their bodies, they suffer from starvation and cold. The Spirit tells Scrooge "beware" of them. Their names are Ignorance and Want; Beware mostly of "Ignorance."
Each of us, like Scrooge, should be brought to the window and peer into the homes of friends, families, and people we know. It would give us insight to how we are perceived by those we love or who love us, or those we disdain or who hate us. However, it is certain to make us very uncomfortable to be that vulernable. And so we are content to be our own critics justifying our behaviors with the phrase, "I'm only human."
What is happening now all around us in homes of people? In the midst of the Christmas season we might see warm friendly Christmas parties. We'd see happy faces spirited with drink and food. Colorful paper still decorates the floors; half eaten hams are in the refrigerator waiting to be made into a sandwich. Christmas is a time of Joy, Peace, and Love. These iconic words should never be removed from this festive occasion.
While we are still dancing we comically intimate at having emptied our pockets and given over our fortunes to the Mall, Neiman Marcus, or (God forbid) Walmart, the reality is most of us have savings, stocks, and/or assets.
Let us not be Ignorant. There are many things that we are willing to cast a blind eye toward. While we focus on Christmas lights, cards & mailings, toys for our children, grown up toys, and what other holy distractions we may occupy ourselves with, there is suffering Want all around us.
There are abused and neglected children. There are breaking relationships. There are broken people. There are the sick. There is opulence and selfishness. There are people who anonymously cast a gratuitous golden coin into Santa's red pale once per year. Is this actual generosity or the condescension of the lord-of-the-manner? Is this some eccentric lord who during the holidays offers the Christmas "drippings to the poor?" Indeed this may seem generous; perhaps it is?
Perhaps this secret Numismatist gives freely throughout the year? And at this Christmas season he finds an opportunity to inspire others to free their spirits from ignorance of the poor?
So his actions cause us to stop and consider the meaning of his gift. When we peer through the frosted glass and discover that even in the frivolity of Joy there is still Want. (Crippled Tiny Tim still needed healing.) Maybe we are confronted with the plight of the poor and are thankful that someone is doing something about it. Or maybe we are confronted with the plight of the poor and we ourselves are moved to action.
At this point in the story we must, like Scrooge, ask what is to be done? Are we content to remain Ignorant of the Want all around us. What shall we do then? What shall I do?
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