Allison Pittman - Keeping Christmas: 25 Advent Reflections on a Christmas Carol

D ear Reader,

Charles Dickens opens his novella A Christmas Carol with this:

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant,C. D.

I humbly offer the same plea.

As a reader, scholar, teacher, and writer, I have always had a deep-rooted fascination with this particular work. Ive seen nearly every version ever filmed, from the silent movie available on YouTube to the iconic Lifetime adaptation starring the inimitable Susan Lucci. The arc of the story never changes. Ebenezer Scrooge, no matter the actor who hosts the character, comes off as a miserable person. Mean, greedy, abrasiveand lonely. There are circumstances as to why he (or she, e.g., Tori Spelling) feels that way. And three supernatural beings guide us through the past, the present, and the future. Watch Scrooged , Scrooge , or Scrooge! They all have it. As does A Christmas Carol , A Carol Christmas , or An American Christmas Carol . Scrooge has been embodied by a former Miss America (Vanessa Williams) and a former Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The tale has been animated by pen and ink, augmented by CGI, and cast with Muppets in which a birdish Gonzo plays the role of Dickens himself. No matter what liberties are taken with the story (a dance number in hell, two Marley brothers to capture a Bob Marley moment), the end is the same. All of the Scrooges confront their sins, repent, and go on to live kinder, more generous lives.

It takes a reading of the original text, however, to capture the true, spiritual essence of Scrooges transformation. A closevery closereading reveals his visits to be more than simple encounters with supernatural beings; they are confrontations with Christthe One in whose name we celebrate this season. Scrooge doesnt just become a better man, he becomes a new man. So, just as Scrooge relies on the Spirits to guide him on this pilgrimage of self-awareness, I beg the opportunity to offer myself to guide you through the text of this beloved Christmas classic. Maybe, like me, youve read the original a dozen times and willagain, like mesee something in a new light. Perhaps youve watched some film adaptation every Christmas of your life, but you havent delved into the text. If thats the case, I invite you to grab a copy to read for yourself. I promise the dense prose that may have seemed intimidating in the past will come to life. It did for me, in the same paragraphs and pages I thought I knew by heart. The difference being, I gave the story over to my heart, looking past Scrooges obvious, outside transformation to find the profound inner change that brings it about. He is not, with all compliments to Dr. Seusss Grinch, a creature whose heart merely grows. He is a man whose heart is transplanted.

Full disclosure: I am not a theologian or any kind of Dickensian scholar. Im an English teacher who has devoted a lifetime to helping students wrangle with symbolism and metaphor. And Im a writer who strives to bring fictitious souls to Christ within every work. For us, as we travel this little book together, I hope to bring the best of both of my worldsto enlighten, to lead, and to share bits and pieces of my own story.

Throughout my study for this work, I clung to the promise found in 2 Corinthians 5:1719: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting peoples sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

I see Dickenss tale as a message of reconciliation as well as an illustration of the life we ought to live once reconciled to Christ. Its not only a journey through the past, present, and future but also a journey from death to life. Not just a reclamation but a rebirth.

The season of Advent is itself a journey: twenty-four days to mark the moment when Jesus Christ came to transform the world. But it is so much more than just a Christmas countdown; its a time when we can celebrate our own transformational experience. The long winter nights of Advent are meant to be a time of contemplation, reflection, anticipation. The story of Scrooge happens over the course of one of those nightsa matter of hoursa time of confrontation, repentance, and salvation.

And so, to paraphrase:

I have endeavored with this little book to raise up the eternal truths, which shall not raise the ire of Dickensian scholars, theologians, Christmas fanatics, or classic film buffs. May it haunt your hearts pleasantly.

A faithful Friend and Servant of Christ,A. P.