Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim is one of Charles Dickens’ most loved characters. He is the small disabled boy in A Christmas Carol who brings joy to everyone who meets him. Tim’s father, Bob Cratchit, and the rest of his family love Tiny Tim. Two of the most meaningful scenes in the story are when Ebenezer Scrooge is peeking through the windows of the Cratchit home. The first time, Scrooge is there with the ghost of Christmas present, and we see a joy-filled home, with loving, generous people. The family has gathered to share Christmas Dinner and they are very thankful for what they have. The Cratchit’s are poor, but they are rich in love and family and happiness. It is heart-warming. Tiny Tim is at the centre of this family picture, with his exclamation: “God bless us every one!”

The second time we visit the Cratchit household, along with the ghost of Christmas future, things are very different. Tiny Tim has died and the entire family is grieving. They are quiet and subdued. They are still faith-filled, but their loss and pain are evident. It is Christmas, but things are not the same without Tiny Tim.

This scene is especially tragic because suffering seems even more terrible at Christmas. At Christmas time we want and expect the world to be full of joy, family, comfort, good food, laughter, and generosity... that makes suffering, sin, and death, all the more jarring.