One of my
favorite holiday stories is “A Christmas Carol,” the timeless classic, written
by Charles Dickens. I’ve seen many adaptations of it; there have been numerous
stage and screen versions, rolled out each December.
One of the
constants in the story, however, is that of the boy character, Ignorance and the
girl character, Want, introduced to the Scrooge character via the Ghost of
Christmas Present. They’re portrayed as creature-like, snarling, hissing and
clawing for attention. They make their dramatic appearance, hidden underneath
the Ghost’s robe.
And, the
drama queen in me loves that poignant, uncomfortable scene because it’s a
wakeup call reality check for humanity. According to the literature classic,
here’s the exchange between Scrooge and the Ghost:
"Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware
this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing
be erased."
(Merry Christmas, how’d you like some social justice?)
And Scrooge chimes in, ever so reasonably, with the
following response…
"Do they have no refuge, no resource?"
To which the Ghost sends a zinger, using Ebenezer’s own
thoughtless words from earlier against him…
"Are there no prisons, no workhouses?"
Ouch. Talk about having your tuchis handed to you!
Anyway, as I’ve been making my way through at least four
versions of the story this holiday so far, I’ve been struck by the power of the
Ignorance and Want words and what they represent- and not just in social justice
issues either. I’ve been viewing them through the prism of recovery. First,
let’s look at Ignorance,
defined as being…
A lack of knowledge or
education
An unawareness of something, often of something important
That’s quite direct, isn’t it?
How many things, even such horrible things like
injustice, abuse and addiction, have been done in the name of ignorance? Yet
the wreckage is still apparent and devastating.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou
hast rejected knowledge…”
Hosea 4:6
I know that for me, personally, this lack of knowledge-
this ignorance- was the gradual descent into my eating disorder behavior.
Already mired by food, weight and body image issues since childhood, an
“innocent” diet led me down a dark path. When I started the diet as a teenager,
my goal was not to develop anorexia and bulimia; my goal was to be thin. But I
was ignorant of exactly what I was doing. And, before long, I was
ensnared. It’s since been a continuous and imperfect extrication, now, years later
into my recovery.
The ignorance was built on the lie that my determined
“answer” of being thin would make everything right, perfect and pain-free in my
life. Indeed, using the word’s definition, I certainly was not aware of the truly important real significance to my issues. To
paraphrase the Ghost of Christmas Present, “Doom was waiting for me.”
Goody.
Like Dickens’ classic, the Ignorant creature in me was
snarling and hissing, clawing to get away from Truth.
Can you relate in your life? What are you ignorant of,
right now, in your family, your recovery and your personal issues?
But wait, we’re still not done. Let’s head on over to
Want.
Ah, yes, Want. The word is defined as such:
To desire something: to feel a need or desire for
something
To wish something done: to desire to do something or that
something be done
To miss something: to feel the lack of something
Want and hunger are often represented as the same animal,
aren’t they?
And so, like the character from “A Christmas Carol,” the
want is the parasite which drives its host to obsession and compulsion. It
won’t stop until “it” gets what “it” wants.
Is anyone else
recognizing themselves here?
In issues like addictions, vices and drives, there’s this
never ending black hole element, promising us-lying to us- stating we’ll be satisfied once “this or that”
happens.
“There is a
way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. A worker's appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.”
Proverbs
16:25-26
And so, we turn to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, relationships
and self-destructive choices, hoping our pursuit of that chosen thing will make
us feel complete and healed.
“Everyone's toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is
never satisfied.”
Ecclesiastes 6:7
And cue the snarling, hissing and clawing creature of
Want. Isn’t she adorable?
Each of us needs to get real with that greedy, grabby,
selfish creature within us. We are fallible human beings, after all. Hate to
break it to you.
“For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”
Psalms 103:14
Nevertheless, we need to acknowledge those unmet needs-
or perceived unmet needs which drive
us; we need to deal with our creatures. And then, to use an often quoted
statement, we need to “check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.”
It’s not always perfectly accomplished; we fail
repeatedly. Again, hate to break it to you.
But, let’s allow “A Christmas Carol” serve as a reminder concerning
Ignorance and Want: yes, they are creatures, but they are children as well.
That’s part of why they are, indeed, so relatable. At the
end of the day, that is who WE are: we are children…children of God. And
Dickens, himself says about that reality…
“It
is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its
mighty Founder was a child himself.”
Ignorance?
Want? Are these creatures actively in our lives? Join the club. And don’t
despair. We can be mindful of them and tend to them as needed in our lives WITH
God’s help.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble.”
Psalms 46:1
In
the meantime, as Tiny Tim says…
"God bless us, every one!”
Copyright © 2014 by
Sheryle Cruse
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