Scrooge and Fezziwig

Philippians 4:4-5: To Be a Person of Loving Kindness

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.

There is joyous scene in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It appears in Stave 2, when Scrooge visits with the Ghost of Christmas Past. During that visit, the ghost takes Scrooge to a time when he was a young clerk under the tutelage of Mr. Fezziwig. In this scene, Dickens paints a beautiful picture of Mr. Fezziwig’s generosity and kindness. Celebration and self-giving are evident throughout the scene. And when Scrooge once again feels the love and warmth of the moment, he makes an important observation:

[Scrooge said,] “It isn’t [the few pounds that it cost], Spirit. [Mr. Fezziwig] 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.”

What Scrooge finally realizes here is that true happiness does not come from avaricious self gain. True happiness, instead, comes through kindness, love, and self giving as exemplified by the generous spirit Mr. Fezziwig. Scrooge feels such joy in this scene that it evokes a momentary epiphany, and he says, “I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! That’s all.” This memory, moreover, erodes Scrooge’s selfish worldview.

Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi, reminds us to rejoice always in God’s generous love, a love that we take for granted. Like Scrooge, it is easy to forget God’s generous love and instead get caught up in our world of ambition and responsibility. But if we take a moment to pause and think about Paul’s point, we are easily reminded of God’s awesome love.  And in that reminder we, like the fictitious Mr. Fezziwig, can be ensigns of God’s love and generosity to those around us.

May God’s example of love be the model for our own kind, generous actions today and every day. In Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan