by Steve Laube
Ebenezer Scrooge shouted, “What is Christmas to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer….Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”
Not the most merry of sentiments but is illustrative of the unhappy and empty among us. In our American culture we have a backwoods duck hunter being vilified in the media while those same critics give a wink and a pass to a 21 year old pop star whose wiggle and shake made her a finalist for Time magazine’s Person-of-the-Year award. In Africa tribal members are killing each other. In the Middle East civil war and anti-Semitism is woven in the fabric of every day. A dictator in North Korea executes his Uncle. Global hunger. Global economic unrest. Many are clamoring for a legislative solution. The moral fiber of society is unraveling. Everything seems upside down.
It was a similar milieu over two thousand years ago described as “when the fullness of time had come” which set the stage for the advent of Jesus into our world. The Western world was ruled by a self-described benevolent dictator in Rome whose methods for keeping peace were brutal and vicious. The country of Israel was run by a despot who was quickly going insane while his paranoia had him slaughtering family members and dozens of innocents (Matthew 2:16).
Into that morass of godless society a child was born. A story was begun. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And that story is still worth telling.
[Spoiler Alert] The ending is truly magnificent. This child became a Savior. His selfless sacrifice on a Roman cross on our behalf gave us life. And hope. And joy to the world.
Even Scrooge had a second chance. It is never too late for redemption to pierce even the hardest heart. On the last page of our opening story the author described Scrooge this way: “His own heart laughed…and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well.”
Write your own version of that story. Let every word make a difference. Change the world word by word.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Will do, Mr. Laube!!! Thanks for the inspiration.
An encouraging post. If we could fully grasp the fact that our words (spoken and written) have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21), how would that impact what we speak and write? I pray God would make that Scripture alive to us all.
Thank you, me friend. A beautiful redemption to the anti-Christ-mas sentiments. I’ve always believed that people let down their guard when they think they’re being entertained. Through fiction, I can bring seeds of Christ’s truths to readers. Then when they least expect it, those truths can reach hearts and change lives.
This is a beautiful post. I have often thought that it is typical of our society to stereotype the term, Scrooge, describing a likeness to the man BEFORE his redemption…just as they glorify the moral depravity of our culture. Scrooge is a wonderful example of a changed heart, fruit of the very power of Christ’s story! It makes me wonder, could we ever hear the name “Scrooge” and think only on his changed heart, instead of on his grumbling, “Bah humbug”? Anyone who’s turned from their sin and embraced the goodness of Christ’s love can declare that they are certainly a Scrooge.;) Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful post. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you, Steve, for the blessings of this post and the reminder that, despite appearances, all is not lost. Jesus came the first time to draw sinners to repentance. When He comes the second time, He will make straight the stubbornly crooked. While we wait, we can trust Him to work all things together for good for those who long for His appearing.
Yes! My goal is to “change the world, one word at a time.”
Well put Steve. May we all inspire to change the world word by word and deed by deed.
Excellent post–thank you! 🙂
Merry Christmas to all!
Such beautiful and poignant insights, Steve. As always. A perspective-shifting post. Thank you.
Thank you for all you and your staff do.
And
MERRY CHRITMAS in the truest sense of the term.
Wise and inspiring words. Thanks. Merry Christmas.