Most associate Scrooge with greed. It is true that is a system of his real sin, but what Scrooge was guilty of was selfishness. Everything had to revolve about him and he thought that he could control all through having it. If you notice, he is friendless and very alone at the beginning of the story “A Christmas Carol.” He alienates all about him, because he cannot control them. What he can control he does through his money, which he clings to because it is all that he has left in the world.
Many in today’s world are heading down this same road, but most are unaware just how hideous they appear to other humans. They are blind to what is going on about them as they think themselves better then Ebenezer Scrooge. He is a product of a broken home. His father hated him for being born since his birth caused the death of his mother. He had no true positive influence during his informative years and so the foundation was laid for his eventual fall into the selfishness since all he truly knew was loneliness he never knew there was more to the world.
I can relate to this in a degree. I am what is called an “Army brat” even though my father was not in the military when I was around. Part of the meaning of this phrase was to be moved about from post to post every few years. This did happen to me and so making friends became more and more difficult. This in time got me to the point of feeling more comfortable alone then with people. Therefore, in this I can see how being alone did not phase Scrooge, but it did enable him to fall into the trap of selfishness more easily.
Jacob Marley makes this statement in his discussion with Scrooge “charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence was my business.” Simply to be humble, a servant to humankind, which is the inverse of selfishness.
Most, especially those that have turned their back upon the Bible and the teachings of Christ, display daily acts of selfishness yet most cannot even see it. They are blinded by their ignorance of the Bible and so they are intolerant of not only things those that those that know the Bible realize is wrong. They also are so narrow-minded that most things are not acceptable to them. You see this behavior given life in the per-visitation version of Mr. Scrooge, yet many just see this movie as entertainment and do not truly dwell upon the message. Mainly, as stated before, because they associate his actions solely to greed not seeing the bigger picture of selfishness.
Look at your actions. Think if your behavior in anyway shape or form echoes the “Humbug” version of Scrooge. If it does see if you can find your own redemption for you will not be given the luxury of being visited upon by four spirits. All you have to count on is the teaching of Christ within the Bible.