Scrooge As Spiritual Teacher: Wake Up Or Miss Your Life

I think Ebenezer Scrooge has gotten a bad rap long enough. This poor guy has endured nearly 200 years of negative press and it's about time we took another look. Every Christmas, we parade him about as the iconic villain, a symbol of greed and all that is most despicable about human beings.

While we know the end of his story, the enduring image of Scrooge is frozen in time somewhere prior to his famous Christmas Eve "awakening". Admittedly, the Scrooge we all hiss and boo never would have won any Mr. Congeniality contests, had there been such a thing in his time. But after all these years of being typecast as a villain, I argue that Ebenezer deserves vindication. Allow me to explain:

As we know, Ebenezer was a gnarly fellow most of his life, the poster child for Mean, Stingy and Ruthless, hardly admirable qualities. A financier who devoted his life to making and hoarding money, Scrooge had contempt for things like love, friendship, and most of all, Christmas. He was miserly and mean and couldn't care less about the well being of his employees, their families or anyone less fortunate than he.

Hardly a candidate for Nice Guy Of The Year award, much less vindication! So far, my case is not looking too good. Where are Sarah Palin's $165,000 makover stylists when we need them?

You might wonder, So why go to all the trouble to give him a makeover? Shouldn't we just leave well enough alone? After all, who would be our Christmas villain if we didn't have Scrooge? We'll get to that part in a moment.

Some Interesting Facts You Might Not Have Known About The Story Itself:

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, was written during a time when the old Christmas traditions were beginning to lose favor. The original working title was "The Sledgehammer" and Dickens intended the story to be a strong statement against the British government's changes to their welfare system known as the Poor Laws.

The book was an instant success, selling over 6000 copies in one week, (that would put it on today's best seller list) and is credited with keeping the Christmas traditions alive. Today, almost 200 years later (give or take 35 years) we still observe many of those same customs.

It was written to call attention to the social injustices suffered by the many who were driven into poverty during the Industrial Revolution while those who prospered thought their only social responsibilities were limited to paying taxes. Dickens wanted to highlight the moral obligation of society to provide for the poor, with the character of Scrooge embodying the selfishness and indifference of the upper class of that era.

Villain Alert and The Victorian Era Revisited?

Doesn't this back story sound strangely familiar? Are we recycling Victorian times? Were Dickens alive today, no doubt he could have written the same story based on our current economic conditions. I wonder what was the Victorian equivalent of Wal-Mart and Black Friday?

Or do today's corporate CEO's come to mind? Think of the Big 3 Automakers flying to DC in their private jets asking for a $25B (update that: $34B, update that: $125B) bailout. Or perhaps any one of the thousands of CEO's making 5000 times the wages of hourly workers today.

Do you see where we're going with this villain theme? No shortage of new candidates for the Villain of the Year award, I'm afraid.

Deeper Truths of A Christmas Carol:

While Dickens' original themes of social injustice and poverty still ring true today, there are other truths contained in this story. It points to a fundamental narrative woven throughout history and speaks to one of the most quintessential struggles of being human.

It's the story of fear vs. love, scarcity vs. abundance. It's the story of overcoming guilt, shame, pride and ego with the courage to face one's harshest critics and reconcile with the truth. It's the story of what it costs a human being to live without access to a generous, open heart and the impact on self and others. And best of all, it's a story of redemption.

It's easy to be blind to our own version of this story. Most people simply don't want to see the not-so-pretty truths about themselves. Neither did Scrooge. Like many people, he buried himself in his work. Indifferent to the needs of those around him, he didn't care if they were miserable, only that his own pockets got lined.

Luckily, the story doesn't end there. As we know, Scrooge had a dream on Christmas Eve in which some special visitors showed up, gave him a harsh look at his past and a preview of coming attractions.

Through the dream, we saw how Scrooge lived in darkness all his life. Flashbacks of his childhood revealed how lonely he was, with parents who didn't show love and school mates who shunned him. To protect himself, he closed his heart and spent the rest of his days living in the shadow of his own rejection. That is, until those auspicious Christmas Eve visitors arrived and gave him the "This is Your Life" wake up call.

In waking life, we rarely, if ever, see the unfiltered truth. Our beliefs cloud our ability to see what's really so and they ultimately become our truths. But as Carl Jung said, "Dreams are the language of the soul", so we best pay attention to them. And pay attention Scrooge did. He saw the end of the story he'd been living and it wasn't pretty.

Vindication Alert

Scrooge, having seen the error of his ways, also saw a new possibility. He saw that he could choose again and this time, he could choose not from fear and scarcity, but from love and generosity. And miraculously, he did!

My favorite scene is where he awakens on Christmas morning, pulls back the curtains that darkened his room and throws open the windows. Leaning outside, he breathes in a new life, greeting the world with child-like joy. We all know where the story goes from there. Scrooge does a 180 and redeems himself with his neighbors, the Bob Crachet family, and even becomes the adopted uncle to Tiny Tim. No more "Bah! Humbugs" ever escaped his lips again.

The power of this story lies in the message that it's never too late to awaken. Some people go to their graves and never see their own light, never truly knowing who they are. Yet it's possible to awaken on one's very last breath.

Dear old Ebenezer Scrooge, maligned as who we never wanted to be, brings us a most precious gift. Usually, we don't even think about him except at this time of year. But let his story be a reminder throughout the coming year, that love, generosity and redemption are only a choice away, that the heart yearns to open, our spirit longs for connection and that the greatest gifts of all cost nothing, but require everything.

As you celebrate this holiday season, offer up a toast to honor Ebenezer for being the perfect messenger that love triumphs over fear and that it's never too late to choose again.

If the classical icon of Nasty can make such a change overnight, surely, there's hope for the rest of us, including those current candidates for Villain of the Year. Now, that's audacious!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment and/or subscribing to the RSS feed so you won't miss any future articles. And thank you for being part of this readership community.

Follow Dr. Judith Rich on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dr_judithrich

Comments

[happycat]

Great article! I must admit that I look forward to watching a Christmas Carol every year. What makes it so wonderful is watching Ebenezer Scrooge change. Redemption is a beautiful thing!

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you, Anne.

Readers, Anne Naylor's love article, How To Celebrate A Lily Day, is definitely worth a read. I don't see it posted still, but check out her archive. You'll love this one!

Anne, I look forward to your next post and thanks for stopping by.

All the best,
Judith

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

I really appreciated this post, Judith. Fear and greed do seem to walk hand in hand, then as now. I also love that it is never too late to wake up. That to me is the Spirit of Christmas.

Many thanks,
Anne

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Sorry, I meant "lovely" article in reference to Anne's blog.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Beautifully said, peggygeorge!

I've loved this story since my own childhood and remember with such excitement when it would be shown on TV (which was a new technology in those days!

I believe you can find the Alastair Sim version on You Tube.

More than ever, we need the lessons of this story today.

Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your wonderful thoughts.

All the best and happy holidays,
Judith

[3fingerbrown]

All us Christmas-­Carolphile­s love the Sim version, but I highly recommend the beautifully made TV production of some years back starring George C. Scott--what a formidable Scrooge! And what a performanc­e--shrewd, intelligent, ironic, and, Scott being Scott, imbued with moments of great power. Roger Rees is perfect as the nephew, and David Warner is the best Bob you'll ever see. If you can hold back your tears during the scene in which he returns from visiting Tiny Tim's grave, you're indeed a tough audience.

And speaking of corporate CEOs: I have a recording of the annual radio broadcast of "A Christmas Carol," starring Lionel Barrymore and narrated by Orson Welles. A delightful bit of Americana, and those two old hams are just perfect.

But the most moving part comes after the "Carol" is over, and Welles introduces the president of the show's sponsor, Campbell soup, to say a few words to the audience. The stiff but sincere executive concludes his brief remarks by saying, "... and I want tell you how proud we are that you allow us to make your soups for you." I guess I find it moving because it recalls a time when American corporations felt a certain pride in their products and a sense of gratitude toward their customers. Can you imagine one of those auto CEOs coming before the public so humbly and gratefully, and taking such pride in what they make?

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

And what A Christmas Carolophile you are, 3fingerbrown! (which by the way, is a most interesting handle. Is there a story about that?)

Don't we just love a formidable Scrooge? All the more moving, his redemption.

And what an interesting addition to your sharing...­. the Campbell Soup angle. Your comment sparked me to research the history of the company.

Here's a link to a very interesting accounting of it's story:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Campbell-Soup-Company-Company-History.html.

Thanks for bringing a refreshing voice to this discussion!

All the best,
Judith

[rini]

Are you listening, Ebenezer, I mean, Dick... Cheney?

[RISwampyankee]

The part of the Christmas Carol that has always stayed with me is when the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals the starving children under his robes. The boy is Ignorance and the girl is Want. Fear them both he says, but most of all, fear the boy. Could this tale be any more relevant?

Thank you, Dr Rich, for a great essay.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Oh dear! Yet another villain to add to the list..... Illinois Gov. Blagejovich! Where's our Ebeneezer when we need him! We need a role model for turnaroundsville!

[Razinbran]

I JUST WATCHED A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL LIKE 30 MINS. AGO!!!

[Eli Davidson - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Judith,
Yes indeed! Ebenezer is a wonderful role model for going from Funky to Fabulous ( a topic close to my heart.) I have been observing that loving and generosity have ability to change a perception and behavior.

The shifting paradigm on our planet seems to call each of us to find glad tidings in place that we may have overlooked. Here's to each of us bring forward our generosity- everyday!

Bless you for another great post!

[Dr. Cara Barker - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Soul Sister, Judith,

Leave it to you to bring to bear the bigger picture. You know, my friend, I've always felt a tad sorry for old Mr. E. because, from the first time I heard the story, I had the most disquieting sensation that he was a reminder of what lives within us each. How easy it is to be bound up with the chains of the past, misdeeds and regrets. What I've always loved about the story is the offer of redemption. Ebenezer is brave enough to begin anew. When he throws back those curtains, he awakens from more than a dream. He awakens from the earlier mis-creation of his life. But it is from this mess, that he seizes the moment for love through a generous heart.

My sense is that your column does just this. It throws back the curtains for all of us, your readers. Bless you for what you are doing so beautifully. You say it all as no other.

As for me, I'm going to 'cook' on what you have said, and respond to it, myself. For now, there are some connecting themes in my own column this week. See you there! Let's continue the conversation.

Much love and gratitude,
Cara

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

My, oh my! Great minds do think alike, don't they?

Dear Soul Sis Cara's blog, just down the block from here has lots more goodies about dealing with those nasty modern day villains. You know, also known as "relatives"?

Here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-cara-barker/rule-1-for-dealing-with-n_b_147857.html

Blessings to you always, dearest Cara!
Judith

[RAStewart]

"... and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alove possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!"

Thank you for reminding us that the real meaning behind the Christmas story is the eternal possibility of redemption--a redemption that begins when we understand that "mankind was my business."

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

So beautiful said, RAStewart!

Thank you for your contribution and reminder of who Scrooge became after that fateful Christmas Eve. Should that we all remember how to "keep Christmas well" in our hearts throughout the year and let "mankind be our business". I'm all for that!

All the best,
Judith

[peggygeorge]

I've often thought that there is almost nothing that teaches precisely the morality that I would like to live as well as "A Christmas Carol" or any literary work outside the New Testament that is so quotable to that end. I am particularly indebted to the Alastair Sim version for giving voice to so many of these immortal lines with a cadence I will never forget. If compassion, empathy and social responsibility cannot be awakened by this story, I don't know what could awaken them.