Scrooge and the Grinch

THIS WEEK, of course we are all getting ready for Christmas. We are getting everything together and lighting up everything we see with color. Tonight my family and I took a drive around our neighborhood to see all the lights and hear the music.

I began rereading Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," and my family watched the movie version with Jim Carrey, who is a very good actor. I really love that story, and the movie always amazes me. You probably know it: a chronically stingy old man named Mr. Scrooge is driven to repentance by visions brought by spirits representing Christmases of the past, present, and future. By the end he is so radically changed and overflowing with goodwill and sincere love that everyone he knows is stunned by him.

You're probably also familiar with Dr. Seuss' story of the Grinch who Stole Christmas. That story also happens to have a new movie version with Jim Carrey. If you've seen that version you'll remember the scene where the Grinch stands on a cliff on the side of Mount Crumpit with a book full of the names of every Who. He begins to read them aloud alphabetically and shout in the direction of Whoville, "I... HATE YOU!!!" "Hate hate hate, hate hate hate, LOATHE ENTIRELY." After seeing his attempt to ruin Christmas by stealing the presents is foiled by the Whos' joy in singing their Christmas song together, he understands his error and is, like Scrooge, converted to a kindhearted soul.

God Himself is love. What better way to celebrate the coming of Jesus than to do as He did, and show love to people? Christmas is a great time to be reminded of what we should be doing throughout the entire year: loving Jesus by loving people. It's easy to think we are good at that, but Jesus also made it clear that love doesn't come naturally. True love is supernatural, so it takes God's help and our hearts to make it happen.

In Matthew 5:46 He tells us, "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?"

Neither Scrooge nor the Grinch was loved by anyone, because neither loved anyone. The Grinch didn't even really love his dog Max, to whose head he tied an oversized antler to make him a reindeer to pull his heay-laden sleigh of stolen goods. But in the movie, after his heart has just grown three sizes because of the Whos, he looks at his dog in bewilderment and tearfully exclaims, "Max! I love ya!"

Love is infectious and powerful. It makes all the difference, whether it is done openly, as in the Grinch's returning of the gifts, or in secret, like Scrooge's anonymous sending of an expensive turkey to his employee's poor family. It is the first in the list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the greatest thing we have according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13, "And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three: but the greatest of these is love."

Jesus emphasized loving people we don't immediately think to love - not only our enemies, but strangers, too. Poor, rich, pretty, ugly, mean, stupid, pink, green. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge a party held by Fezziwig, an employer he had when he was a young man. Fezziwig invited everybody he knew, and every kind and age of person walked in. But Scrooge did not even celebrate during Christmas, nor would he pay mind to the plight of the poor or let his employee make a hotter fire at night.

In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus tells us what we should do: "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

"Scrooge" and "Grinch" have become names for people who don't enjoy celebrating with people or share in joy with others. I'm afraid that most of us are like that sometimes, and forget to love. We may not even notice, because it might seem justifiable not to love. People are often very terrible to one another, and we don't deserve to be loved or forgiven. But what Jesus said about loving even those who do wrong to us still applies. It's not like forgiving them would be as profound as God forgiving us.

And that's just what we are celebrating right now. The coming of God in the flesh to break down every wall out of love for us, only to come knock on our doors and ask to be let in. That's love. And whether we are sharing that good news or just treating people with gentleness and charity, it is not only our job but our greatest blessing in life to love like Jesus does. Doing that, we can celebrate Him properly throughout the year.