The ghost led Ebenezer Scrooge through a vision of the future in which he saw his own death.  Struck by the fact that there were no mourners he asked, “does no one celebrate this man’s life?”

 

He was then shown his customers, celebrating that their mortgages might be forgotten, and thieves, joyfully stealing the contents of his home, right down to his bed sheets and the shirt he was laid to rest in.  Scrooge’s death was in deed cause for celebration of sorts.

 

Greed ran Scrooge’s life.  Over the course of his life he had withdrawn into the world of business to the exclusion of humanity, and his cold heart became legendary.

 

The folklore of the “evil creditor” is embedded into our culture.  No wonder compulsive debtors who are actively debting are prone to panic.

 

Scrooge eventually became generous, and we can imagine that his business dealings became more of the win-win variety.

 

Am I looking for the best outcomes for everyone?

 

Meditation for today:

Generosity heals the soul.  It may take more effort to find solutions to problems that benefit both parties in a negotiation, but the result can be far greater than what “enlightened self-interest” alone can provide.   Kindness is its own reward.

 

Affirmation for today:

I will remember the lessons of the past, the present and the future.

 

Prayer for today:

I pray that I “seek to understand more than to be understood”.