In our family we have a tradition that after Thanksgiving we start getting ready for Christmas, which includes listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. This year we have added to our list Spirited, starring Ryan Reyolds and Will Ferrall. It is a musical take on the classic Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol. The story explores the ideas of redemption and change. I apologize to those who may not have seen the movie, as this post will have spoilers. It is hard to discuss it, without giving away the plot.
The movie plot is as follows Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future have been working together for the last two hundred years, to help change humankind for the good. They accomplish this by researching a potential soul that is in desperate need of redemption. Then come Christmas Eve they visit them; the goal is that by the end of the night they will have seen the errors of their ways and will change. This will then create a ripple effect, inspiring others to change. Thus, through one soul at a time, humankind will improve. Will Ferrall character plays the ghost of Christmas Present, who is due to retire, yet year after year he puts it off. He has this nagging doubt if he has really changed, did he truly become good, and if all his work for the last couple hundred years has been enough, to pay for all the harm he caused.
While they are scoping out their next soul, Present sees Ryan Reynolds character Clint Briggs, who is a renowned but cutthroat media consultant, who only looks out for himself. This is Present’s magnum opus, he is sure that if Clint can change, then that will signify that he also did change. However, Marley is against it, for Clint is determined to be unredeemable. This naturally intensives Presents need for Clint to be the one. Marley eventually agrees and all sorts of evants happen. Yes, Clint is difficult the crack, what usually convinces normal people does not even phase Clint. Thus, Present is forced to take drastic measures, resulting in Present taking Clint back to in the past to his life. Here we find out that the Present was Ebenezer Scrooge, he was the only other unredeemable that was redeemed. However, the catch is that Scrooge only lived 3 weeks after his Christmas Eve visit. Thus, we understand why Present is plagued by doubt over whether he has changed.
For sake of time, I will not go through the whole movie. But I did want to highlight the ending. See after Clint did what he was supposed to do to prove that he changed, it did not work. Present is baffled by it. They went through all the steps, he tried to stop the event from taking place, surely that was enough. As they are walking, Clint turns to Present and acknowledges that they have become friends, Present agrees and then suddenly darts out into the road. For he has decided to try and figure out what is going on. Clint sees a bus hurtling towards Present and runs into the road, pushing him out of the way. Thus, saving his life. At the cost of his own. This results in the whole Marley crew showing up and clapping, signifying that Clint had changed. They end the movie with a song and dance sequence basically encouraging everyone to try and chose good. If we all did that then the world would be a better place.
This movie so aptly portrays what the American society thinks about humans. Yes, there are some bad ones, but deep down there is a speck of good in all of us, that if it is encouraged, or chosen then we will be good. But they also recognize that there is a reckoning, how many souls did Scrooge need to save to repay for the harm he caused. But the only tools they have is to a. try to scare people into changing their outward actions, which is what they equate to being good, and b. encourage people to try. They also in a sense explore the idea of the Prophet. One could argue that the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future, are there to awaken the soul to the fact that if they continue the same path, it only ends in death. These souls need someone to show them the error of their ways. Which is part of the truth, yet what they fail to see is that we also need someone to save us. But you may ask why? Why isn’t outward change enough? Because it does not affect the heart. You can modify outward behavior all you want, but it does not impact the heart. Not to mention the constant fear and worry if you are paying off your past indiscretions, and what about the current ones you make? Thus, you enter this never-ending cycle of trying and failing, the emotional rollercoaster of somedays you do great, and other days are an utter failure.
While the movie correctly captures our desire to be good, and our attempts at they miss how that is not enough and will never be enough. Nor of course do they explore why we even have this desire and who determines what good is. But that is another topic for another time. Yet our hope we celebrate on December 25th in the form of a baby, although that is not his actual birthday. It is the day that is dedicated to celebrating His birth. See as much as we desire to save ourselves, it is impossible for us to achieve this due to the holiness and justice of God. Most of us think that we are a good person, but when we compare ourselves to the standard that God has given us, which is surmised in the Ten Commandments, we quickly see at how we have fallen short. Hence, we create all these ways and effort to try to win favor and appease God, but its not enough. Why? Well next time you need to clean a window, find the nearest mud puddle, and soak your rag in it, then go wipe down the window. What is the result? The window is worse off, that is how our attempts at righteous appear to God. For sin has touched every part of our being, thus when we try to do good, it is tainted with sin. Since God is holy, He can accept nothing less then perfection. Because He is just, the penalty must be paid. Yet we cannot do this ourselves, thus He lovingly sent His Son to take our place.
This is our hope, our Savior, our Messiah was born so that He could fulfil the law of God. He achieves this due to his sinless nature, since He did not have an earthly father, therefore He did not inherit the sin nature. Hence, He could perfectly fulfil God’s law, both outwardly and inwardly. He could pay that penalty for our sin which is death (Romans 6:23). He was that sacrifice, that perfect spotless lamb that could take away our sin. (1 Pet. 1:13- 21). He bore the wrath of God, so that we might be cleansed and reunited with our Father. Hence His righteousness, His credit is now ours. If we but repent of our sins (the ways we have broken God’s law, the ways we have not loved God or our fellow man) and accept the atoning work of Christ. That is it! The work is done, we no longer have to agonize if our actions are enough. The struggle is over. Will we still sin? Yes, but He is faithful and just forgives us for our sins (1 John 1:9-10). He will never leave us, He will never forsake us (Deut. 31:6). His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3: 22-24), plus we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who aids and guides us. We are sealed until the final day (Eph 4:30).
Now we can choose to do good, for He has saved us to do good works (Eph 2: 8-10). We often get the cart before the horse; we do not attempt to perform good and then are good. We are given a new heart, so now we can do good. We are filled with the love of Christ, therefore we can love others, we have been forgiven much, so we to can forgive others much. We have experienced mercy and grace, so we can give others mercy and grace. We were that unredeemable that Christ redeemed, so we can tell others about Christ. This is the hope that we have. Let us rejoice and be thankful, let us live a life that is worth honoring to our Lord. A reflection of the debt He paid to us.
Deeper Joy 