At this point many of us are aware of Jim Carrey’s version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In this classic, we learn the Grinch’s origin story: he has been hurt, made fun of and neglected by his peers. In response, he chooses to detest Whoville and everything its inhabitants stand for, namely, Christmas. In one scene, the Grinch is going through each name in the phone book saying, “Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Double hate. LOATHE ENTIRELY!” He finds no shortage of ways to feed his resentment toward the Whos.
This bitterness has led to the current state of his heart, “three sizes too small”. Like the Grinch, how many of us let resentment reign in our hearts?
But I get it, it can be hard to forgive when we have been hurt. We feel we have been wronged and they should “get what they deserve.” And maybe that’s true. But people will wrong us everyday, so what are we going to do? Just move on the top of a mountain, look down on the people in the town and secretly desire to be a part of their community?! Obviously a bit extreme but that is what we do when we close off our hearts.
C.S. Lewis says it best, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”
We need look no farther than Mr. Grinch to see how lonely a life like this would be. To have friends and community, forgiveness is a daily task. And I promise it is worth it. “Forgiveness also bears witness that, in our world, love is stronger than sin” (CCC 2844). And looking again at the Grinch, we see that once he has stolen all the presents, the town chooses to forgive and celebrate the presence of each other. This grace extended toward the Grinch allows his heart to grow. Not only does forgiveness allow us to love, but extended forgiveness allows for love to be received and for hearts to be changed.
This Advent and Christmas season, let’s forgive those who have wronged us, celebrate fresh starts and allow our hearts to grow three sizes. If we do, we become more fully the men and women we are called to be.