“His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.”  -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

The Greek term Metanoia refers to a change of mind or of one’s way of seeing and of being. It represents a transformative change of heart.  This gentle turning of our face towards the Light is the invitation of the Advent season.

An all-time favorite that illustrates this notion best is Charles Dicken’s classic story, “The Christmas Carol”. In this tale the miserly Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by three Spirits. Scrooge is strongly persuaded to take an honest accounting of his life and the choices he made along the way.  When Scrooge is visited by the Spirit of Christmas Past he is  less than welcoming towards his uninvited guest. However, we receive an informing glimpse into the wounds that began to wall off  Ebeneezer's heart at an early age. Unfortunately as a young man, Scrooge is offered love but  chose material wealth at the cost of losing his beautiful fiance, Bell.

When the Spirit of Christmas Present visited we realize how cold Scrooges heart has grown through the years. We watch as he disdainfully rejected all overtures of friendship and acts of kindness from other people. Sadly, he had no desire to help those in need, even though he had the means to make a difference. He begrudged all attempts that appealed to his better nature and he refused to recognize any opportunity presented to ease human suffering. Scrooge found himself caught in the narrow confines of a miserable existence that was devoid of love or happiness as he hoarded wealth but found no joy in living. He received a warning from the ghost of his deceased business partner who carried the heavy chains he forged in life through greed. He cautioned Scrooge and urged him to turn around before it was too late.

At that point Scrooge wanted nothing more than to run from the awful truth of his way of being in the world. Yet his tortuous night was not over for he was confronted by the Spirit of  Yet to Come and a rather bleak future was revealed to Scrooge. He observed people’s reaction to the news of his future death. Not a tear was shed, not a kind word shared, nor would others grieve the likes of him! Equally painful to acknowledge was the consequences of his stinginess in underpaying his employee, Bob Cratchit. Bob’s older children worked in factories to help earn eager means and his fragile son Tim, died at an early age.  

Yet, to his amazement not all was lostfor  Scrooge awakens Christmas on morning with an epiphany that only Love's grace can bestow. He is overjoyed to be alive and have a chance to make amends. His cold heart cracked wide open in an outpouring of joy.

Scrooge has been given a great gift; Metanoia, an opportunity to turn and experience a change of heart. We all have a bit of Scrooge within us. We can become hardened, cynical, burned out and indifferent. The complexities of our world challenge us  to move beyond fear and trust in the light of Love.

“And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” –Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Liz Sorensen Wessel