So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
Charles Dickens wrote the amazing story A Christmas Carol. I have watched the movie version for far too many years to count. It’s one of my favorites. In Dickens’ work, we read of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly, selfish man who lives only for himself and his work. It does not matter what movie version we see; Ebenezer comes off as a miserable person: mean, greedy, abrasive, and very lonely. There are circumstances as to why he feels that way.
As we read the classical book or view one of the movie versions, Ebenezer finds himself in a very uncomfortable position. He is visited by his former partner and three spirits of Christmas: Past, Present and Future. During these encounters, he wrestles with how the past and present appear to define his future. At this point in the story, I would have inserted this phrase, “Ebenezer, our past helps to shape and form us, but it does not have to define us.” It’s something I say quite often, not only to myself but to others.
The truth is, we all have a past we deal with. For some it’s a difficult past; for others, the past might have been easier. But again, at some point there will be a time of reflection and decision. Will I let my past define my future and who God has called me to be, or simply, will I let my past define me? I can assure you that God desires “new life” for each of us.
I’ve always been moved by the spiritual essence of God at work in Ebenezer’s life. We find a time of reflection when Ebenezer is given the gift of looking back and seeing who he was to others. There is a time of repentance when Ebenezer doesn’t like what he has seen and is sorry for his actions. In this moment of repentance, we witness transformation. I never tire of this part of the story, watching Ebenezer experience the joy of new life, a future that is filled with hope, love, and it inevitably brings me to tears.
As we enter the season of Advent, may it be a time of reflection and a time of preparing to receive once again the gift of Christ, who came so we might experience abundant life. I invite you to read 2 Corinthians 5:17 often during this season of preparation.
Rev. Linda Harker, Pastor of Online Worship
