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Find Your Inner Scrooge

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Thu, 2009-12-24 15:30 — The Conductor
Topic: 
Culture

Thanks to a recommendation at Maggie’s Farm, and to a pally who knows how to work a Netflix queue, I watched a 1951 version of A Christmas Carol. (The film’s credits actually show the title as “Scrooge”.)

I’ve never read the Dickens. I’m really not that familiar with all the details of the story. But watching the film led me to think we’re not fair to Mr. Scrooge.

We think he’s a bad guy. A humbug. And for most of the film, it is hard to imagine a more heartless jerk. But that ignores the moral of the story.

Scrooge finds the Spirit inside himself. And once he did, we are told there was not a more generous or loving man in all of London.

Our culture has fixated on the fallen nature of the man. I say we should hold him high as an example of salvation. That’s the point behind Christmas. It’s not about the goodies we give to each other. For the faithful at least, the day is a celebration of the gift God gave man: an escape from our inherent Scrooginess.

Alastair Sim does a wonderful job of portraying the manic and joyous Scrooge after his revelation. May we all find the same joy as old Ebenezer.

Merry Christmas!