The Peace We Long For: Advent in Disorienting Times | Day 14

He upholds the cause of the oppressed

    and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free, 

    the Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

    the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner

    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:6-9

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been a staple for the season since it was written in 1843. It has been adapted many times and has more versions than most people can think of. The muppets did a version, there are romantic comedy versions, and there is even a ballet version. This story is so ingrained in our culture that it would take living under a literal rock to keep you away from having seen something that has been influenced by this story. 

In the story, Dickens uses 4 ghosts to visit Ebenezer Scrooge (we count the Ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, in this house) to illustrate the importance of charity. Dickens believed that the poor are not provided with resources to help themselves. Scrooge holds the livelihood of the Cratchit family in his hands, but is so tight-handed with his money, they live below livable means. Scrooge believes that “someone” will help the poor, so he does not have to. After the ghosts visit him, his eyes are opened to the injustices that the people living in poverty are going through, and he becomes more generous. 

In a life of hardship and of earthly toil, there's a need for anything that frees us. Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne

During Christmas time, we focus on giving to our loved ones. We get the newest, crave the best, and the next best thing. All we do is spend, spend, spend.

The difference between Scrooge and us is that we do not need ghosts to show us how to be more equitable. God can open our eyes to injustices and show us how to support those around us.

We can start focusing more on our neighbors and less on how to beat out the next person for a new electronic. 

During this time of year, we can work on being more like the man that we celebrate, Jesus. Whenever we see depictions of Jesus, he is this polite pastel colored man. In reality, he was nowhere near the docile and tame depiction thrust upon him. He was a rebel who fed the poor, called out broken systems, touched the contagious, called out hypocrisy, and supported those who were downtrodden. We can work to be more Christlike during this season and make someone else’s life easier. In a world full of Scrooges, you can be like Jesus!

Prayer: Today’s Prayer is going to be a little different. Below is the dismissal prayer that Storied Church reads every Sunday to allow the congregation to go in peace. It is both a blessing and a guide to living Christ-like: 

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen.