Over the holidays, my wife and I again took advantage of the opportunity to watch two classic movies— A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version released in 1951 and based on the Charles Dickens novel of 1843) and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Both of these movies have endured, not only because of their production values, but also because of the themes they addressed. They are profoundly important stories. And they have very much in common.

1. The Message. The central message of both movies is the human obligation to serve and help other humans, especially the poor, including the working poor (Bob Cratchit and the many families housed by the Bailey Building and Loan). It is no accident that both stories were set in very difficult economic times—the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution in England and the Great Depression in the United States.

2. The Villain. Both movies have a central evil character—Ebeneezer Scrooge and the banker Henry Potter. While it might be tempting to view them as representatives of Satan himself, they are, in fact, very human. Both are rich capitalists who oppress rather than help the poor. And yet neither movie is communistic or socialistic in the sense of expecting the government to help the poor. Both applaud free enterprise (especially small businesses such as those owned by Scrooge’s Fezziwig and the small shop owners in Bedford Falls) and personal initiative. The assumption is that it is people who help people, not large institutions.

3. A Christian Worldview. Underlying both movies is a Christian worldview. This is no accident, as both stories were originally created during eras of Christian revival. Dickens wrote during the era of the Evangelical revivals, and It’s a Wonderful Life heralded the resurgence of church attendance in North America following the Second World War. Both movies include mention of church attendance, both take place on Christmas Eve, both include Christian carols, and both recognize the significance of Christian faith. The obligation to help the poor is not just a human obligation but a human obligation imposed by God, the Christian God.

4. Supernatural Intervention. In both movies, things are changed for the better by the intervention of spiritual beings—the ghost of Jacob Marley and the three “ghosts” of Christmas in A Christmas Carol and Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody in It’s a Wonderful Life. However, it is important to note that the alleviation of human suffering does not come directly from this intervention. Rather, the intervention inspires people to help the poor—and the helpers are very flawed and imperfect people at that. This also is in keeping with the Christian tradition. Jesus Christ chose that, after His death and resurrection, His mission would be carried on through His human followers. The Christian church is inspired and empowered by Jesus to continue His work, but throughout history it has been Christians (not angels) who have preached the gospel, fed the hungry, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, looked after the sick, and visited those in prison (Matthew 25:31-46, John 14:12, Acts 1:1-8).

When so many modern Christian movies offer fluff and fantasy (with the gifts being magically delivered by Santa Claus, relieving humans of any obligation), these two classic movies still resonate. They remind us that widespread human suffering still exists in the world (the poor are always with us) and that it is our obligation, with God’s empowerment, to seek to alleviate that suffering.