Chaplain
A Christmas
Carol
Last December my wife and I attended a stage production in Clarksville, Tenn, of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol. This novella, which was originally written in 1843, became an instant classic; it has never been out of
print. It also has had numerous ?lm, play, and opera adaptations. I still remember the ?rst time I watched this
story unfold as a child; it was Disney’s animated version with Scrooge McDuck in the role of Ebenezer, Donald
Duck as his nephew Fred, Goofy as Jacob Marley’s ghost, and Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit. I believe that
the reason this story’s popularity has endured for 170 years is that its themes resonate deeply in our hearts and
minds. It is a tale of redemption.
Recall that the sel?sh old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited one night by three spirits. The ?rst, the Ghost of
Christmas Past, takes him to revisit scenes of his boyhood and youth, reminding him of a time when he was
joyful. Next, the Ghost of Christmas Present takes him to the homes of his underpaid and overworked employee,
Bob Cratchit, showing Scrooge how he has inadvertently caused his family pain and misery. The ?nal spirit, the
Ghost of Christmas Future, gives him a dire vision of a possible future where no one mourns his death. These
experiences spur a transformation in Scrooge and he becomes a different man overnight. He begins to treat others
with kindness, generosity, and compassion, embodying the spirit of Christmas.
The reason that this tale remains so popular is that it winsomely portrays a profound truth: it is never too late to
change. Dickens is really just echoing the threefold formula for change found in Revelation 2:5, written nearly
two millennia ago: “Remember then how far you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at ?rst.” God
always offers us another opportunity for redemption. Like Scrooge, we can also be spiritually, ideologically,
ethically and emotionally transformed through a supernatural event. Recall the promise of I John 1:9, our bar of
spiritual soap: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.”
FCP Chaplain
CH (Capt.) Robert Miller
PG 16