I often wonder what happened to George Bailey. Will he remain changed even when the living room is empty and his troubles are no longer close to the hearts of his neighbors? When Christmas is over and I return to the job I inherited in the town I’ve never left, will doubt and regret creep back into my head and slowly fade away until I find myself back on the ledge of the bridge? Will the erasing embrace of the cold, sharp waves obscure the warmth of true community and the salvation he experiences through it? The transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge raises similar questions. Is the joy he experiences on Christmas morning simply an expression of the euphoria of a near-death, or is it truly a breath of new life into his soul?
As a child, the story of Christmas salvation was my favorite of all stories.
As a child, the story of Christmas salvation was my favorite of all stories. home alone It was an annual watch for me and my siblings. The hilarity of Joe Pesci’s flaming head contributed to the DVD case receiving a lot of wear, but the emotional pulse of the story probably played a more important role. I saw myself in the image of young Kevin standing at the top of the stairs proclaiming, “I wish my family were gone.” I also saw a figure of my own mother in Kevin’s mother, whom we reunited with on Christmas morning (the repetition of the cycle in the sequel mirrored the cyclical nature of my childhood misdeeds). As I got older, I found myself identifying with George Bailey. His cathartic cry, “I want to live again. God, please let me live again,” mirrors my own cry, but only after I have cried out the opposite sentiment so many times.
These moments of self-discovery became clearer and deepened as I drew closer to the source of true life. Understanding the birth, life, and death of Christ as something greater and more subversive than moral fairy tales roots the “self-discovery” of these cathartic stories in something greater than ourselves and our individual characters. These stories of redemptive transformation are ultimately stories of eradication. The characters begin a new life, real life. These stories are ultimately stories of beginnings, not endings.
death before death
Either christmas carol and It’s a wonderful life”, there is a strong theme of what it means to “die” before “dying”. In Scrooge’s case, he has a very hard heart. He treats his employees poorly, has no regard for the poor, and more or less ignores the celebration of the birth of Christ. When his nephew wished him “Merry Christmas,” he replied, “Why do you need to be merry? You’re poor enough.” Scrooge confuses merrymaking and general happiness with monetary wealth and gives no credence to spiritual things. He’s dead, but he doesn’t know it.
Similarly, George Bailey realized that he lacked true awareness of life and things beyond what he could perceive. If Scrooge’s cloud of darkness is unrelenting and constant, George’s is the opposite. His apathy does not consistently create visible gloom in his life, but the accumulated regrets from lack of travel and experience, as well as the feeling of being stuck in his hometown, create the perfect conditions for a sudden, explosive downpour. He does not have the stubborn heart of Scrooge, but rather a heart that is prepared for areas of life where he has failed and failed to live up to his idealistic expectations.
In both cases, God will answer them and show them what it means to truly die.
Despite this situation, we will not meet these people in their true final place of spiritual death. Even if their position holds, only one can be reached, but hope remains. The quietest parts of their souls may whisper in solidarity with the classic carol theme: “Ransom the captive Israel / Those who mourn in lonely exile.” Breaking free from the bondage of the mind is an unknown interest to them until later in their story. Bailey asks God for help, but his plea is not out of spiritual surrender. Rather, it is an appeal to escape legal and financial danger. Despite this shallow plea, Bailey’s daughter is implored by her mother to pray for her father. The resulting prayer is truth prayer. She observes her father’s spiritual deterioration and asks God to restore him.
But Scrooge doesn’t ask for help. In fact, he acts as if he’s above it. He ignores his well-meaning employees and nephews, and actively dedicates himself to isolating himself as he is. Although Dickens does not explicitly say that there are saints who pray for Scrooge, we can infer that they exist. They could be his nephew, Tiny Tim, or they could be the children of a god who had the misfortune to encounter a skeletal man. In both cases, God will answer them and show them what it means to truly die. George is erased from all traces of his existence, and is shown that his life, which he had unconsciously ignored, was truly a gift not only to himself, but also to those around him. Scrooge is shown the suffering he has caused others and is finally taken to the grave, where he is inches away from death. These images should remind us all of the spiritual death we lived and faced before our salvation through Christ.
Salvation in Milton’s Poetry
The story of Christ’s birth is a story of establishment. The prophet Isaiah speaks of the new reality that the world will experience at the coming of the Savior. This child will be a ruler of government and peace, an establisher of righteousness and righteousness (Isa 9:6-7). It would be unfair to claim that Dickens and Capra’s stories are direct allegories of Christ and his birth, but there are similarities. Without birth, there is no life and therefore no redemptive death. This life marks a turning point for humanity. The baby in the manger would establish the kingdom on earth through his life and teachings, and through his death and resurrection would begin the means of ultimate reconciliation with God.
Milton knows that earthly loss is temporary because Christ was born, died, and rose again.
John MiltonThe great British poet created a catalog of lyrical poems that convey on a meta level what it means to live and perceive life through the reality of the birth of Christ. The title of his first (inaugural) poem was “on the morning of the birth of christ” And it explores the flow-changing nature of Christ’s birth. He understands the meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy when he writes the lines, “But peace was night/And there began the prince of light/His earthly reign of peace” (61-63). The poem itself covers a range of themes, including the baby’s superiority over the “gods” that permeated ancient thought and belief.
Milton understood that the birth of this child would have a dramatic effect on everything that exists. His understanding of this “reign of peace” is reflected in the attitude of his later lyric poetry. Many of Milton’s poems focus on his earthly trials, including the death of his wife, friends, and newborn baby, and the loss of his eyesight. These poems always reconstruct earthly sorrow under the supreme reign of the Risen Savior. in “Lycidas” he declares that his drowning friend is now “climbing higher.” In his sonnet, “Considering how your light is used“Despite his loss of sight, he realized that he had not been abandoned by God and was still capable of serving God. Even in a somewhat elegiac sonnet.”I felt like I met the saint of my deceased followers.” is not included, leaving the reader with the understanding that Milton was able to glimpse his deceased wife in a new heavenly form. Because Christ was born, died, and rose again, Milton knows that earthly loss is temporary. These poems may lack the festive aesthetic of Christmas, but they are strongly grounded in the reality that Christmas celebrates.
Life After Redemption
I started by asking what George Bailey’s life would be like. christmas carol and It’s a wonderful life Both work within a mode of realism, meaning that their endings cannot simply be understood within the fairy tale metaphor of “and they all lived happily ever after.” Some might argue that the spiritual journeys of these men would disqualify this work as a work of realism. As Christians, I would like to argue that these spiritual elements are closer to our reality than we might expect, but that’s a topic for another day.
[Scrooge] and Bailey are symbolic expressions of the “new creation”: “The old has passed away, and behold, the new has come.”
These men live detailed and nuanced lives. Bailey escapes a nightmare and immediately undergoes a transformation. He repeatedly cries out, “I want to live again,” a seemingly simple statement, but it is actually very profound. He wants to go back to something he’s been ignoring lately and intending to end soon. At this point, he does not feel that his neighbors’ generosity is easing his financial burden. In fact, you can see that he welcomes prison. When he got home, he opened the letter and exclaimed, “I’m sure there will be a warrant for your arrest. Isn’t that great? Merry Christmas!” It’s a slightly humorous line that shows how much Bailey has really changed. A new breath of life gave him the opportunity to understand life at its most basic level. No longer is he drowning in concerns about things that are completely trivial from his new perspective.
Scrooge’s Awakening is similar, but there are also differences. Although he has no outstanding payments, he strives to do all he can for those who have been wronged. Dickens wrote, “The best and happiest thing of all was that the time before him was his own, and was meant to make amends!” Scrooge is not excited about living to run a business in the stingy way he used to. He is excited to live for the work of reconciliation before him. Ephesians says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Scrooge’s new life is one in which he understands what he is made to do. He decided to send Bob Crassitt a turkey, get a raise, and attend Christmas dinner with his nephew. He and Bailey alike are symbolic expressions of the “new creation”: “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christ’s Inaugural Reign
It’s easy to sit back and enjoy Christmas and the aesthetics and festive traditions that come with it. christmas carol This was the first classic I read as a boy, and I finished it during a drive to North Carolina in May. While reading it, I admired the colorful nature of Christmas and the events that would bring instant relief. It’s easy to recognize peace in a world of colorful, warm lights, soft falling snow, and festive gatherings. These aren’t bad things; they’re actually good things. But we can’t distract from what we’re really celebrating. The reality of Christ permeates all of our lives. We are living in a state where eschatology has begun. The reign of Christ has begun. I look forward to when the family meat platter on December 24th will be replaced with a feast around the Lamb of God.
christmas carol It ends with an invitation of sorts. Sitting on Scrooge’s shoulder, Tiny Tim cries, “God bless you all!” This invitation reflects the wide range of invitations that Christmas brings. Through Christ, we can all receive the salvation that George’s salvation represents. Notice the baby Milton is writing about. But please understand that Christ did not stop there as He walked on earth. Watch as he calms the sea, overcomes Satan’s temptations, and brings dead humans back to life. Watch him suffer the death you and I deserve, and rejoice as he rises from the grave in triumph over death. Follow His teachings and commands, learn to love Him deeply, and find yourself in His gracious arms and at His table, forever resting in praise of Him.
Source: Christ and Pop Culture – christandpopculture.com
