As a boy, Charles Dickens knew poverty from bitter experience. He never forgot what he had learned. Many of his novels deal with the huge gap between wealth and poverty.
Perhaps the most unforgettable is A Christmas Carol. Its main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is a “grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner” who can squeeze blood out of a stone. Bob Cratchit, his underpaid bookkeeper, shivers in his unheated corner of the office. But Bob has learned to be content in his situation.
At the meager Cratchit-family Christmas dinner, Bob proposes a toast: “Merry Christmas to Mr. Scrooge, the founder of the feast!” Mrs. Cratchit objects with scornful words about Scrooge, but Bob, in all humility, replies mildly, “My dear, it’s Christmas ... and the children!” For all his poverty, Cratchit has wisdom and happiness. But Scrooge, for all his wealth, has a bleak and miserable life.
Having just celebrated Christmas, and as we turn our attention to the New Year, how do we make sure that the “hallelujah’s” we’ve experienced during this season don’t become “humbugs”? How do we trust God to redeem the past and make Him a priority of our present, then follow Christ boldly into the future?
As we learn about living a “hallelujah” life all year long, may the love and joy of Christ in you overflow to others. May we be able to say, “God bless us, everyone!” And may you have a wonderful and blessed New Year!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
Perhaps the most unforgettable is A Christmas Carol. Its main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is a “grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner” who can squeeze blood out of a stone. Bob Cratchit, his underpaid bookkeeper, shivers in his unheated corner of the office. But Bob has learned to be content in his situation.
At the meager Cratchit-family Christmas dinner, Bob proposes a toast: “Merry Christmas to Mr. Scrooge, the founder of the feast!” Mrs. Cratchit objects with scornful words about Scrooge, but Bob, in all humility, replies mildly, “My dear, it’s Christmas ... and the children!” For all his poverty, Cratchit has wisdom and happiness. But Scrooge, for all his wealth, has a bleak and miserable life.
Having just celebrated Christmas, and as we turn our attention to the New Year, how do we make sure that the “hallelujah’s” we’ve experienced during this season don’t become “humbugs”? How do we trust God to redeem the past and make Him a priority of our present, then follow Christ boldly into the future?
As we learn about living a “hallelujah” life all year long, may the love and joy of Christ in you overflow to others. May we be able to say, “God bless us, everyone!” And may you have a wonderful and blessed New Year!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
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