The True Meaning of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
Charity is not merely the transfer of goods, but the recognition of another person’s humanity. When Scrooge finally breaks open the vault of his own heart, it is not redistribution. It is relationship. He walks the streets. He speaks to his neighbors. He becomes a steward of the people whose lives intersect with his own. His charity is voluntary, local, personal—everything big government collectivism cannot be.