25 Thoughts on “A Christmas Carol” – December 24th

Happy Christmas Dear Reader

'They are Man's,' said the Spirit, looking down upon them. 'And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!' cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. 'Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And abide the end!'

'Have they no refuge or resource?' cried Scrooge.

'Are there no prisons?' said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. 'Are there no workhouses?'

The bell struck twelve.

We near the end of our journey with Mister Dickens. One of my purposes in writing this has been to keep myself and you my beloved readers from ignorance for in that is truly doom. Those of us who claim to follow Christ can ill afford to passively slander his name by remaining ignorant of the needs in the world around us.

So much of the world clings to Christmas for the hope it brings no matter how little peace or joy they have. We can be a fulfillment of that hope and we can bring peace and joy to others if we will merely abandon our ignorance. We can be the hands and feet of Christ to alleviate the want in others lives. It is our privilege to be used by Christ in this way to lighten the burden of others and infuse into their lives a little cheer.

We cannot relegate the chore that Christ has given us to what my friend Jon calls “an unskilled apprentice.” There are prisons and work houses (read agencies and welfare programs). Were they ninety-nine percent effective it would not relieve me of my responsibility to follow Christ in caring for them all. I cannot look at my tax bill and feel that I have done my part. I leave you with the words of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra:

If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."