The Christmas Carol

as Christian Truth

Session Four: Dec. 14, 2014

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past

The Word to Live By:

Mark 8:18 (KJV) Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not

remember?

Session Truth:

“Lord keep my memory green.”

Philip Swidger from Charles Dickens’ “The Haunted Man” from

The Christmas Books

.



Scripture:

Exodus 13:3 (KJV) And Moses said unto the people,

Remember

bread be eaten." this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened  Joshua 1: 13 (KJV) " land."

Remember

the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this

 I Thessalonians 1: 3 (KJV) "

Remembering without ceasing

your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"  II Timothy 2: 8 (KJV) "

Remember

Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:" that Jesus  Acts 20:35 (KJV) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to

remember

than to receive.

the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give

 Galatians 2:10 (KJV) Only they would that we should

remember

the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

 Ephesians 2:11 (KJV) Wherefore

remember

, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Chapter Overview

   What Role has Memory played in your spiritual walk—especially at the beginning?

 The bizarre appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past   Dickens presents the reader with a physical allegorical figure of

Memory.

Scrooge’s desire to dim memory because he is worldly.

Scrooge’s problem is not societal but spiritual.

He is guilty of forgetting what he owes and of idolatry.

What role has memory played in your Spiritual Journey?

For all who come to Christ, memory plays a vital role since memory brings up the sins which we recognize we need to be forgiven of and also for many of us the wittiness of those around us who made the Christian walk something to be desired.

The bizarre appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past

Have you ever noticed that in various

Christmas Carol

dramatizations the one ghost who seems to have

no consistency

is the ghost of Christmas Past? Marley, the giant of the Ghost of Christmas Present and of course the shrouded Ghost of Christmas future all look pretty much the same. However consider this variety: Disney’s 2009 version with Jim Carry

How the Ghost of Christmas Past appears in various dramas:

    In the 1954 version of

A Christmas Carol

, the Ghost is portrayed as a white-robed lady.

In the 1962 animated Mr. Magoo version of

A Christmas Carol

, the Ghost is portrayed as a small boy with a flame over his head.

In the 1970's version titled black hat.

Scrooge

, the Ghost is portrayed as an elegant lady with a red dress and a In the 1982 animated version of

A Christmas Carol

, the Ghost is portrayed as a Cupid-like young man.

      In Disney's 1983 animated adaptation titled Mickey's Christmas Carol, Jiminy Cricket takes the role of the Ghost.

In the 1984 George C Scott version of

A Christmas Carol

, the Ghost is portrayed as a white-robed lady white blond hair and a candle snuffer.

In 1988's modern adaptation titled

Scrooged

, the Ghost is portrayed as a cab driver with a Brooklyn accent.

A Christmas Carol

(1997), an animated production featuring the voice of Tim Curry as Scrooge has the ghost appear as a sparkly version of the artful dodger.

A Christmas Carol

(1999), a television movie starring Patrick Stewart the ghost is white shirted thin gentleman from the late 1700s, slightly out of focus.

In the 2004 Kelsey Grammer musical titled

A Christmas Carol

, the Ghost is portrayed as a lady that lights the street lamp posts.

The following might explain why:

It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some super-natural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child's proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare.

It wore a tunic of the purest white, and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness, was not its strangest quality.

For as its belt sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away. And in the very wonder of this, it would be itself again; distinct and clear as ever.

Dickens presents the reader with a physical allegorical figure of Memory.

   Having white hair and young face: it shows the combination of the youthful memories (notice the mention of a child’s proportions) with the experience of old age.

Like memory it has a long reach and strong grip. “The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength.” It reveals the events of the spring and summer days of youth so it wears summer cloths, but its carrying of a sprig of Holly shows these memories tie into Christmas and are brought up because of Christmas.

  It also shows the fragmented quality of memory: “the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body” It’s most important quality, however, is the light which flows from it: “But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap,”

Scrooge’s desire to dim memory because he is “worldly.”

 It turns out that the “cap,” mentioned in the last quote, is a candle snuffer designed to put out light and it is Scrooge and his kin not the spirit which created it. Remember “Darkness was cheap and Scrooge liked it.” Scripture reminds us that “Men loved darkness rather than light for their deed were evil” (John 3:19 KJV). This aversion to light just further demonstrates Scrooge’s alliance with evil and his lost state:

Perhaps, Scrooge could not have told anybody why, if anybody could have asked him; but he had a special desire to see the Spirit in his cap; and begged him to be covered.

`What.' exclaimed the Ghost,' would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give. Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made this cap, and force me through whole trains of years to wear it low upon my brow.'

The ghost in fact makes Scrooge’s lost state overtly clear:

Scrooge reverently disclaimed all intention to offend or any knowledge of having wilfully bonneted the Spirit at any period of his life. He then made bold to inquire what business brought him there.

`Your welfare.' said the Ghost. Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately: `Your

reclamation

, then. Take heed.'

Two Points about Scrooge’s



Worldly Nature:

One, Scrooge is of a “worldly mind.” This is not a compliment. For Dickens’ audience it is very likely that Mr. Worldly Wise from Bunyon’s Christian allegory

A Pilgrims Progress

would have leaped to mind. Next to the Bible that allegory was the most widely read book among English speakers right through the beginning of the 20 th century.

Those of us brought up in a religious tradition are used to the concept of being “worldly” as negative but many today might be confused.

Mr. Worldly Wise give Christian bad advise in

Pilgrim’s Progress.

 Remember, Marley calls Scrooge “man of the worldly mind” when Scrooge tries to logically demonstrate that things beyond his understanding can not exist.  The Ghost of Christmas Past calls him one with “worldly hands” and it is entirely in character that when faced with such an apparition that Scrooge should ask him what

business

brings it to him.

 Second Scrooge’s worldly mind does not allow him to believe that he will not be killed when he steps through the window. However, the spirit shows him where real truth comes from: `I am mortal,' Scrooge remonstrated, `and liable to fall.' `Bear but a touch of my hand there,' said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart,' and you shall be upheld in more than this.'  Scrooge needs faith which has ever been the realm of the heart not the mind.

So what does Scrooge remember?

 We see his wound—the abandoned child in the midst of poverty. He is forced to remember that he was not himself always “self-contained.”  It has a softening affect upon him. The details “fell upon the heart of Scrooge with a softening influence, and gave a freer passage to his tears.”

And in this softened state:

 He is shown himself as an abandoned child rescued by the joy of reading and of imagination.

 He is shown himself as a desperate young man who is pulled out of a dark and economically oppressed environment by his loving younger sister Fanny.

 He is shown his apprenticeship with Mr. Fezziwig which includes his friendship with someone named Dick Parsons.

During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost, and became conscious that it was looking full upon him, while the light upon its head burnt very clear.

   “A small matter,” said the Ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.” “Small!” echoed Scrooge.

 The Spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices, who were pouring out their hearts in praise of Fezziwig: and when he had done so, said, “Why! Is it not! He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?”

 “It isn’t that,” said Scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self. “It isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count them up: what then? The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

 He sees the day Bell releases him from their relationship. He’s isolating fear is revealed.

  “This is the even-handed dealing of the world!” he said. “There is nothing on which it is so hard as poverty; and there is nothing it professes to condemn with such severity as the pursuit of wealth!” “You fear the world too much,” she answered, gently.

Scrooge is the way he is because

he is afraid!

 It’s not a love for money, nor hatred for people nor a belief in his own superiority.

 These all could have some place in him but the truth is after what he saw as a child he can not trust. He fears the world too much.

And so Scrooge creates a power which he things he can trust. Bell identifies it exactly as a form of idolatry:

“Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve.” “What Idol has displaced you?” he rejoined.

“A golden one.”  This is of course a direct Biblical reference to the golden calf to which the Israelis bowed even after God had brought them out of Egypt.

He is forced to see what his fear and the choices based on that fear cost him and his own isolation:

It is notable that Bell herself brings up Memory as perhaps a way for Scrooge to come back:

 “You may – the memory of what is past half makes me hope you will – have pain in this. A very, very brief time, and you will dismiss the recollection of it, gladly, as an unprofitable dream, from which it happened well that you awoke. May you be happy in the life you have chosen.”

Of course he is not happy with his choice:

 His actions reveal it for while promising that he had no intention of bonnoting the ghost originally, Scrooge will desperately try to hide the light in the end:  Memory is vital for salvation: