Happy Holidays!
My holiday of choice is the Nativity of our Lord, otherwise known as Christmas. This year, I commemorated the season by reflecting on some favorite stories associated with Christmas, Nativity, winter, etc. For the full line-up, check out the last episode, "Holiday Stories we Loved and Lived."
Of particular interest, is Charles Dickens' classic novel, "A Christmas Carol," in which the old miser Ebenzer Scrooge is visited by three spirits, and challenged to reflect on the way he keeps(or doesn't keep) Christmas, and how that impacts all of his relationships, and his very soul.
In this episode, I briefly reflect on Scrooge's visit to Christmas past, and his trauma narrative. I talk about how everyone, even the most miserable people, have a context that has shaped them.
I also reflect at length on the difference between a miser and a monastic. Prior to his adventures, there are aspects of Scrooge's life that almost seem to resemble the life of a monastic...but not quite. Is there a healthy way to live simply and forego pleasures? Turns out there is, and is closely tied to generosity, compassion, and community. By the end of Scrooge's story, he's not a monk, but he has gained some essential components of a profitable life, namely his relationships.
This leads into a brief discussion about why we need both Fasting and Feasting in order to have a balanced life.
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Thanks for listening!
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