Dickens’ ‘Lord’ book perfect Christmas gift for children

By Mike M

cManus

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While he was completing “David Copperfield” in 1846-49, Charles Dickens wrote “The Life of Our Lord” for his own children, a simple retelling of the life of Jesus Christ. Since he wrote it exclusively for his children, Dickens refused to allow its publication.

When Dickens died in 1870, his children honored his request that the small book not be published. However, as the last of his children, Henry Fielding Dickens, neared the end of his life, he gave permission to his wife and children to publish the small book after his death. In 1934, the last work of Charles Dickens became available to a wider audience, and was a best-seller, 64 years after his death.

Consider these tender opening words:

“My dear children,

“I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable as he was.”

Some sentences make the story jump alive for children:

“Mary laid her pretty little boy in what is called the manger, which is the place the horses eat out of. And there he fell asleep.”

As Jesus began to heal the sick and give sight to the blind, Dickens told the children “these wonderful and solemn things … are called Miracles of Christ. I wish you would remember that word.” Jesus did them “that people might know He was not a common man, and might believe what he taught them, and also believe that God had sent Him.”

Dickens notes that Jesus chose 12 poor men to be his companions, his apostles or disciples, in order that “the poor might know - always after that … that Heaven was made for them as well as for the rich …. Never forget this, when you are grown up. Never be proud or unkind, my dears, to any poor man, woman or child.”

After recounting the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and of his jealous brother, Dickens tells his children, “By this, Our Saviour meant to teach that those who have done wrong and forgotten God, are always welcome to Him, and will always receive His mercy if they will only return to Him in sorrow.”

At the end of the book, Dickens kindly tells his children, “Remember! - It is Christianity to do good, always - even to those who do evil to us. It is Christianity to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

I am buying books for my sons to read to their children. It truly is the perfect Christmas gift.

Mike McManus writes the “Ethics & Religion” syndicated column. Comments: mike@marriage

savers.org.