new church life : november / december 2016
modern examples of the anti-Christmas spirit are Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dicken ’ s immortal 1843 novella , A Christmas Carol , and the perennial Dr . Seuss favorite , How The Grinch Stole Christmas , first published in 1957 and made into a television show in 1966 , which many families have watched every year since .
Scrooge and the Grinch are beloved examples of how we all can become better people at Christmas through regeneration – being reborn with a new spirit .
Scrooge is the antithesis of Christmas – a cold-hearted miser who hates everything it stands for . The story of his redemption by the ghost of his old business partner , Jacob Marley , and then the Ghosts of Christmas Past , Christmas Present and Christmas Yet-To-Come , has become a defining morality tale of the power of Christmas to elevate our spirit .
Scrooge won ’ t even give to the poor at Christmas , considering them “ better off dead .” But on Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley , who also had spent his life hoarding wealth and exploiting the poor . Now he is condemned to walk the earth to eternity , bound by the chains of his own greed . He warns Scrooge of a similar fate – unless he heeds the warning of the Christmas Ghosts .
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his unhappy childhood , then a happier Christmas when he meets Belle , the love of his life . But she leaves him when she realizes he loves money more than he loves her , breaking his heart .
The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him all of London celebrating Christmas , including his faithful and abused clerk Bob Cratchit and his family . Scrooge is touched by the pure-hearted nature of Bob ’ s sickly son , Tiny Tim , and is disturbed when told that Tim will die unless things change .
The Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come takes Scrooge to Christmas Day a year later . Tim has died because his father could not afford the care he needed . Scrooge then is shown the grave of a “ wretched man ” – and weeps to see his own name on the tombstone . He immediately repents and turns to a life of kindness and generosity . You might say – as with the Grinch – that his heart “ grew three sizes that day .”
The Grinch is a furry recluse living on a cliff overlooking the cheerful community of Whoville , with evil in his heart . He cannot stand their happy celebration and sneaks into town on Christmas Eve to steal all their gifts and decorations . With an evil twinkle in his eye , he anticipates their spirit being crushed . But he is no match for the innocent Cindy Lou and the Whos , who still gather in the town square to sing cheerfully in celebration of Christmas .
Like Scrooge , he has an epiphany , returns the gifts and joins in celebration with the Whos . As Dr . Seuss memorably describes it :
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