Struggling with Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say: rejoice!”
In 1843, Charles Dickens considered writing a tract, a pamphlet that would educate the public and, he hoped, draw sympathy to the plight of the working poor. Then he changed his mind. He imagined a fictional novella, one that could be more powerful and reach more people. During six weeks in the fall of 1843, Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Some say his words in that work did more to change the hearts and minds of nineteenth century England than any other influence.
If nothing else, his vivid description of Christmas feasts, gift giving and generosity unintentionally united with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s revival of English Christmas traditions. Decorations and feasting had been long scorned by the Puritanical religious authorities prior to Dickens and the Queen and Prince. Suddenly, almost overnight, the warmth, color and joy of Christmas festivities returned enthusiastically. But there was more ...
Ebenezer Scrooge: he was the embodiment of a sad, selfish, industrial, capitalistic and uncaring London elite. He also remains a good representation of winter – a cold existence with no warmth and little light. But he changes. And his transformation comes like spring emerging out of winter. A lifeless landscape gradually begins to color and the world returns to life. The life that Scrooge had forgotten, the love he once felt, the warmth he once experienced all finally comes flooding back in dramatic transformation. It is for good reason Dicken’s masterful rendering of this man stands as one of the most recognizable and enduring in all of English literature.
In a way, Scrooge is the biblical Zacchaeus of London: a rich abuser and contemptible, obsessed with money and the power it brings, oblivious to those in need, heartless, scornful, friendless and seemingly soulless. This sordid character shows no sign of compassion, that is until vivid dreams and the stark confrontation of past, present and future awaken him to both the joy of what could be – and the horror of what will be – if he continues as he is. Like Zacchaeus “called down” by Jesus in Luke 19, Scrooge is chastised, then, newly awakened, cognizant, aware
Interestingly, Dickens’ novella about Ebenezer Scrooge and the potential joy of Christmas is a strictly secular story. There is nothing said of Jesus’ birth; the Bible is never mentioned. Yet it is a story very much concerned about the plight of others. Dickens tells us in detail of the selfishness and inward looking Scrooge – but only as a way to see into our own self-absorbed ways. How easily we overlook the world around us.
Early on, Scrooge is offered an opportunity to contribute to a charitable cause. He scorns the idea. He has little concept and no concern about his contributions to poverty. Yet the struggling Cratchit family endures deepening hardships largely because of his harsh demands and inscrutable stinginess.
The real story, of course, is not so much about Scrooge as it is about us. Like Luke’s telling of Zacchaeus, there are aspects of both men in me and in you. Both authors, Dickens and Luke, expect a tang of guilt, a spark of compassion, a move to repentance. The surprise comes with the joy that ensues in a change of heart. Here is what Jesus says to Zacchaeus:
“Today, salvation has come to this house, for this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”
And there is more: The story of A Christmas Carol is also about being poor, living in conditions harsh and unfathomable, yet real and constant. Dickens remembered what it was like in his own life. And he hoped to awaken a slumbering public. They remained blind to the everyday tragedies being played out before their eyes. Good people who happened to be poor, like Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, suffered mightily. Dicken’s ultimate goal then: to facilitate awareness, compassion, change – and like with Scrooge’s newly awakened heart, to finally access a sense of joy.
Long before Dickens, the Bible addressed and addresses still, similar apathy and complacency. And the Bible clearly identifies the possibility for change, for renewal, for transformation – and joy.
This week, may your awareness be stimulated. May you awaken to a new sensitivity, to see with new eyes the needs around you. And may you experience God’s presence in the midst of those needs. For surely when awareness, compassion, and God’s presence unite, the result is nothing less than joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy.”
David Jordan
Senior Pastor