The spirit of Christmas stood before Scrooge.

Scrooge noticed something strange beneath the robes of the ghost.

When asked what moves about so strangely, the spirit opened his robes to reveal two children, Want and Ignorance.

The spirit of Christmas, which is the guardian of humanity, announced that the creatures were the children of men.

They are part and parcel of humanity.

You cannot separate them or their hold on the minds and hearts of humankind.

The girl, Want, is the embodiment of human suffering.

Starvation.

Sickness.

Fear.

Want is with us always; there is no way to satisfy this child.

There is no deal with which it can be made to set a limit with this creature.

It will always want more and more and more…

Her brother in despair is Ignorance.

Of the two children, Ignorance being the most dangerous to humanity.

Ignorance blinds humanity's natural bent toward compassion.

Ignorance twists truth to obscure harmony.

Ignorance builds walls of distrust.

Ignorance starts wars.

Scrooge was dismayed.

How could such a kind and compassionate spirit such as the ghost of Christmas present suffer these creatures?

The spirit replied, look upon the boy on his forehead; you can see written the word Doom.

Unless mankind addresses these two ugly siblings of their own making, the children of men will doom humanity and destroy them from the inside out.

All those that are called by love it is their duty their privilege to care for these lost children.

As the spirit chided Scrooge, everyone thinks they are not the problem that it is someone else.

The spirit threw back the words of Scrooge, are there no prisons?

Are there no workhouses?

Shouldn't the hungry have to work for their food?

Migrants must go elsewhere for freedom.

Blacks are not equal to whites.

Gays are not human.

Only the right kind of people can vote.

Women will never be equal to men.

The president can do anything he wants.

Scrooge was shocked by his own words.

He was the problem.

He was not helping humanity.

He believed in the story, he was told that you had to suffer to be rewarded.

If there was no suffering, his God hated you.

You were lazy and a drain on the resources of good, hardworking business owners.

He did not have the milk of human kindness in him.

He was a child of Want.

He was a child of Ignorance.

He was a creature.

Each year, this is the week before the height of the time of giving. 

Far too many are in need of basic Want in our nation and the world.

Too many live in Ignorance of what life can be.

Their Ignorance has set limits on the possible.

Their Want of power stops the flow of compassion.

You can be highly educated yet ignorant of your responsibility to help humanity.

You can be so wrapped up in partisanship that you ignore the Want of those not like you.

What values does your life represent?

Are you Scrooge who saw himself as a humanitarian as he foreclosed on people who could not pay their rent?

Are you the spirit of Christmas present lifting fear and being hope?

Spend time thinking more about others than yourself and discover how the rewards of life will pour out.

Happiness is right in front of you.

Peace

DFrey