A Christmas Carol

I don't know about you, but I love Dickens story, "A Christmas Carol". However, I must admit that I have only seen the movies.

This is one of those stories that never grows old. In fact, what I have found so refreshing is that every time a "new" rendition comes out - the story is unchanged. I was reminded last night that when I was younger we had an album (yes...an album) which had the Disney Christmas Carol along with an illustrated book. We used to gather in our parents bedroom and listen to this story every year. As a side note I had to explain to my 8 yr. old that an album was a black, plastic, round item that had lines upon it...you placed it under a needle...well, you get it. *Dare I try to explain 8-tracks?

Two quotes that I want us to reflect upon today are very interesting. The first one comes from the Ghost of Christmas Present. Scrooge has basically tied this spirit with an attempt to close down bakeries on Sunday (which at the time was used by the poor since there was a law against baking bread on Sunday). The spirit replies, "There are some upon this earth of yours...who lay claim to know us, and who do their deed of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us." Does that sound familiar to anyone? How often has religion tied things to God that have nothing to do with him? Reminds me of a true story: A group of church people from North Carolina gathered at a local restaurant after services one Sunday. As the waitress went around to the tables asking for beverage orders the pastor leaned back in his chair rather pompously and asked, "Young lady did you go to church this morning?" She replied, "Pastor, someone had to fix your lunch."

The next quote from the book is one of my all time favorites. Scrooge asks the Ghost of Christmas Future, "Are these the shadows of things that Will be or are they the shadows of things that May be, only?...But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change...I am not that man I was...Why show me this, if I am past all hope?" I often wonder how many of us would change if we knew what the future held? I think we all would. Think about it...how many people would go to hell if they knew that was their future destination? No one in their right mind would choose hell over heaven! The good news in all of this: No one has to go to hell. No one has to be separated from God for all eternity. Jesus gave his life so that each of us could change the things that may be.

This Christmas I want all of you to remember that Jesus was born to take away the sins of all men who would accept Him...to change what "May Be." I leave you with the words of Tiny Tim - "may God bless us everyone."