A Gay Christmas Carol

A Gay Christmas Carol -- by Bill W Chapter 1 -- Snarley's Ghost

** AUTHOR'S NOTE: ** I wish to thank Charles Dickens for writing this holiday favorite and hope he isn't rolling over in his grave because of the new perspective I gave to his classic tale. In this version, I attempted to show the redemption of a man by altering his homophobic views.

Pat Righteous was a pious and honorable man -- at least that's how many people saw him. He was a religious leader of some renown and did his best to ensure the word of God was spread throughout the land. He even went as far as to make certain that political leaders felt the heat from his movement and let them know that his Righteous followers would not agree with or tolerate certain changes. This included public acceptance of homosexuality, allowing gays to serve in the military, granting gays equal rights or the approval of non- traditional forms of marriage and civil unions. He didn't do this to be cruel or vindictive, at least that's what he told those who questioned his motives, but he claimed instead to be merely following the word of God, as written in the Holy Bible.

It was Christmas Eve, one of the most wonderful times of the year for him, and he looked forward to giving his Christmas Eve sermon. It was a short stroll from the parsonage where they lived to the church and he walked it arm-in-arm with his wife, with their two children accompanying them. Along the way, many members of the congregation offered him their best wishes and seasonal greetings, which was their way of expressing their admiration for all he had accomplished over the past year. Pat gratefully accepted their compliments and Yuletide wishes, and then he would pass along his own Christmas salutation, so it was a wonderful time for all.

It wasn't long before Pat was standing at the pulpit, before his congregation, as the choir led them in some of their favorite Christmas hymns. The power of the Holy Spirit seemed to fill their small cathedral to the rafters, as the parishioners soaked in the blessings of this wondrous season. The evening went off as planned and Pat's Christmas sermon was a huge success. The service concluded with the singing of a few more seasonal hymns and everyone was in a splendid mood as they left this place of worship. Pat made sure to bid his parishioners adieu as they made their way out of the sacred edifice this evening, and he went out of his way to add a few personal comments to everyone, as he bestowed his blessings upon them all.

Once the final congregant had left the church, Pat made his way home with his family so he could enjoy this special evening with those he loved. As they sat in their living room, with its wonderfully decorated Christmas tree, they focused upon the magnificent Nativity that was spread beneath its lowest branches and reminded them of the true reason for the season. There were also many presents stacked neatly on either side of this religious masterpiece, which were meant to represent the same generosity of giving that the magi had shown when presenting gifts to Jesus to honor his birth.

As the family sat enjoying this wonderful sight, they also basked in the love and serenity that the holiday season provided them. It was truly one of Pat's most favorite days of the year, along with Easter. After enjoying this special moment, the rest of the family decided it was time for them to get some rest, so Mrs. Righteous and the children went to bed. Pat stayed behind, so he could put the finishing touches on his next sermon.

Pat was working alone in his study when the lights began to flicker, go dim and then went out. This made him wonder what was causing this to happen, but he didn't have long to ponder this thought, because suddenly they came back on and his doorbell rang. Wondering who could possibly be visiting at this hour of the evening, he hurried to the door. He thought possibly one of his church members had a problem that required his immediate attention.

When he opened the door to see who was there, Pat found his stoop empty -- there wasn't a soul in sight. He looked about, to see if the person had moved away, but he could see no one nearby. What puzzled him even more was that not only wasn't anyone there, but there also weren't any footprints in the light dusting of snow that had fallen since his family had returned home. Confused, he went back to his study and began to concentrate on his work again, but once more the lights began to dim, went out and then suddenly came back on.

Pat walked over to look out the window, to see if something similar was happening at his neighbors' homes, when his doorbell unexpectedly rang again. Pat immediately rushed over to answer it, hoping to discover who was there or at least catch a glimpse of the prankster who thought disturbing him at this hour was amusing. Once again, there was no one on his doorstep and he could see no footprints in the snow. Totally bewildered by what was happening, he decided that possibly his doorbell's ringing had something to do with the power fluctuations. He considered that the loss of power, followed by the sudden surge of electricity as it was restored was what might be causing the doorbell to suddenly chime.

Thinking he had hit upon the answer to this dilemma, Pat was about ready to return to his study when something else caught his attention. He could scarcely believe his eyes or comprehend what he saw, but the vision he encountered sent chills racing up and down his spine. This was due to the fact that when he turned to exit the room, he perceived a shadowy figure pass through his closed doorway. As it emerged into the foyer, this form began to gain more substance, until Pat could finally recognize that it was the ghostly apparition of a man.

"Pat Righteous, I have come to rescue you this evening," it moaned.

"Rescue me?" Pat asked. "What would I need to be rescued from?

"From yourself and your beliefs, which will be your undoing," the apparition replied. "I have come on your behalf."

"Who are you?" Pat demanded.

"Ask me not who I am, but who I was?" the ghostly figured moaned.

"Ok, then who WERE you?" Pat asked, as his teeth began to chatter slightly.

"In life I was your friend and obedient assistant," the spirit answered.

"David? David Snarley? Is that you?" Pat asked, shaking slightly as he beheld the figure in front of him.

It did indeed seem to be the ghostly form of his close friend, faithful companion and assistant pastor who had passed from this world a few years earlier. In fact, it had happened seven years ago on this very night. As Pat looked at the spirit more closely, he noticed that the apparition appeared to be dressed in the same attire Pat remembered David had been wearing when he was laid to rest, but now these garments seemed to be smoldering. It was as if his clothing had been burning and the fire had only recently been extinguished.

"Yes, Pat, it is I," the spirit responded, while showing very little emotion.

"But it can't be. You're... you're dead. I went to your funeral and saw your body lowered into the ground, so this cannot be. There are no such things as ghosts!" Pat exclaimed.

Pat then rubbed his eyes, thinking his senses must be playing a trick on him. When he realized his actions did nothing to change the vision before him, he pinched his arm, in an effort to convince himself he had been sleeping and merely dreamed this unnatural scene. However, his thoughts were interrupted when the apparition released a frightful cry, which caused Pat to tremble.

"Do not deny what your senses tell you, because you are wrong when you say spirits do not walk this earth," Snarley's ghost advised him. "Not only are you incorrect about this fact, but you and I were also wrong about so many other things we held to be true."

Once again, the specter was responding in a very drool, yet accusatory tone, while making certain the meaning of his words were quite clear.

"I have suffered greatly for the wrongs I committed during my lifetime and will continue to do so, but I'm allowed to atone for some of the great agony I caused while I lived by walking among the living on this very night," Snarley's ghost explained. "I've chosen to come to you, because I hope to spare you from having to endure the same fate that I now bear."

"You were always a good friend, David, but why would you have to suffer? You were always an honorable and God- fearing man," Pat observed.

"I suffer because of the harm I caused others during the time I walked the earth," Snarley's ghost answered.

"I don't remember you causing anyone any harm and I should know," Pat replied. "You were my faithful assistant pastor for many years and any complaints of that nature would have been brought directly to me. The only thing you ever did was to help me carry out God's work, so you shouldn't have to suffer for doing that? Since the day you passed from this world, I have always believed you to be sitting at the right hand of God, reaping your rewards for being his faithful servant and living a devoted life."

"It is what I expected as well, but that was only one of my miscalculations," the ghost stated, as it hung it head.

When it did this, it was quite apparent that Snarley's ghost was feeling very remorseful.

"But I don't understand," Pat challenged. "You only preached the word of God and passed along his message to both the faithful and unbelieving."

"What I passed along was our misguided interpretation of God's word," Snarley moaned, "but I have since learned that I allowed my personal prejudices to color the message that I spread. I now know that I bastardized the true meaning of what God had intended, so I am required to pay for those misdeeds. You will also pay as dearly as I, if you do not repent and acknowledge the error of your ways."

The spirit was now pointing an accusatory finger at Pat, to add emphasis to its words.

"This can't be so. I am only spreading God's word as it is written," Pat replied, trembling.

"You are not listening to what I am saying," the spirit moaned. "You are spreading the same inaccurate message of his word that I was."

After saying this, the spirits words were followed by another deafening cry. Pat reacted immediately to the wail, but it was uncertain if his quaking was caused by fear or was the result of the indignation he felt at being told he was misguided in his beliefs.

"This evening you will be given a chance to change your ways, an opportunity I was not granted," Snarley explained. "Tonight you will be visited by three spirits and they will show you where we went wrong. If you are able to learn from what they show you and willing to heed their message, then you might still save yourself from having to endure the fires of hell. If you repent then you will not have to share the tortures I have been forced to endure since my death. Do not squander this opportunity, my friend, for it shall not be offered again."

"Can't you just pass the message along yourself, so I don't have to be visited by any more spirits?" Pat whined. "You were always such a good and loyal friend, David, so I would much rather hear this from you."

At that instant, Pat was greeted by an unearthly howl. Even though Snarley never opened his mouth, Pat was certain this noise had emanated from him. Pat immediately fell to his knees, completely consumed by the hollow and haunting sense of despair the wail had sent coursing throughout his entire body.

"Pat Righteous, you must accept these spirits and heed the message they show you," Snarley's ghost wailed. "Tonight will be your only chance to redeem yourself and make amends for the suffering you have helped to cause. The first spirit shall appear to you at the stroke of midnight, the second as the clock chimes one and the final spirit as the bell tolls two. Do not expect to see me again and remember to heed my warnings."

With that said, the ghost of David Snarley began to drift across the room and slowly moved away from Pat Righteous. When it reached the far wall, it glided effortlessly through a closed window, without doing any damage to the glass.

After watching it disappear, Pat summoned up his courage and followed it to the window, so he could see where it had gone. He was surprised to discover that there were numerous other spirits floating gracefully about outside and quickly concluded that they most likely were performing a task similar to that of his former assistant.

Shaken, but unwilling to let his wife or children know what had just happened, or at least what he THOUGHT had just happened, Pat decided to lie down on the sofa in his study. He covered himself completely with the afghan that had been folded neatly across its back, but it took quite a few more minutes before he was able to shake off the effects of what he had just gone through. Eventually, he calmed down sufficiently so he was able to fall asleep.

Chapter 2 -- The First Spirit

Pat wasn't able to slumber for very long before he was awakened by the sound of the grandfather clock in the foyer going off twelve times. As he began to open his eyes, a bright light suddenly filled the room and temporarily blinded him. He tried to shield himself from this glare, but was unable to keep his eyes open for very long. Then, he heard a child-like voice speak.

"I shall cover the light of truth for now, so you might behold me," the voice said.

As soon as this happened, Pat could see the form of a spirit about the size, and the same gender, as a young girl. The spirit was wearing a pointed cap and Pat could tell the brilliance was still trying to escape from beneath the headwear, but at least now he could make out her features. As he studied her more closely, he noticed she had snow-white hair and was dressed in a long, flowing white robe. Although she appeared to be no more than eleven or twelve years old and had no wrinkles crisscrossing her skin, this spirit was obviously far older than she appeared.

"Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" Pat asked, while looking at the contradictory form before him.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," the spirit announced. "Rise and walk with me, for your own welfare."

Fearful, but not courageous enough to disobey the spirit, Pat got up and followed her to the front door. Without the slightest hesitation, she opened it and held out her arm, before summoning him.

"Take hold of my hand and come with me," she commanded, soothingly.

Although he was still uncertain as to why he was being so compliant, Pat took her hand and together they passed through the doorway. When they emerged on the other side, they were in another part of town, but the area and house seemed vaguely familiar to him.

"Do you recognize this place?" she asked.

"It looks different somehow, but isn't this the house I lived in as a boy?" Pat replied.

"Indeed it is," she agreed.

"I didn't recognize it at first," Par explained, "because we moved from here before I reached my teens."

"Precisely," the spirit confirmed. "Come have a closer look."

As she urged him forward, they made their way up to a large window at the front of the house and peered inside.

"Why, that's me!" Pat exclaimed, somewhat taken aback by seeing himself as a child. "I remember this, because it was my favorite Christmas of all. It was the last Christmas before my father died and I shall always cherish my time with him that day. Look! He's helping me set up the model train set he gave me that year. I still have it, but it's down in our basement now. I gave it to my son when he was about the same age as I was when I received it. If I remember correctly, I was ten then."

"Yes, and you love your son, as your father loved you. Don't you, Pat?" the spirit asked.

She studied him carefully, while waiting for a response, as he continued to watch this Christmas extraordinaire. She could even read the delight that was registering on his face, as this vision brought back delightful and cherished memories from that day.

"Oh, yes. I do love my son... and I hope that I'm always here for him," he added as an afterthought, while wiping a tear from his eye.

His final comment was made after he recalled how much he had missed his father after that day, because his father died shortly after the start of the next year. In reaction to this painful memory, Pat turned slightly away from the Ghost of Christmas Past, because he didn't want her to see him weeping. However, when he turned to look through the window again, the scene had changed and the boy inside was now a year older.

"What happened, spirit?" Pat wondered. "Can't we go back? I want to see more of that Christmas with my father and I don't want to be reminded of this one!"

He was not only sad that the scene had changed, but he was also upset that his euphoria had now been replaced by great sorrow. Watching this new vision, Pat was reminded that he and his mother were only barely scraping by at this point and had very little to spend on the holiday. They would also be forced to move from the house in which he grew up within a few months, thus eliminating another of his connections to his father.

"We must remember and accept the good with the bad, Pat, and this is a part of your life too," she told him.

Pat merely nodded, but was unable to speak due to the lump that had formed in his throat.

'Why did she have to remind me of the loneliness I felt the next Christmas without my father?' he wondered. 'Why couldn't she have let me continue to enjoy the happiness of the Christmas before, when my father was still alive?'

Pat was still pondering these thoughts when he suddenly found himself being whisked to another place completely. This time they were standing outside an unfamiliar home, looking in on people he didn't know. Since he didn't understand why they were here, he decided to ask.

"Why did you bring me this place?" he wondered.

"I want you to see and experience the love and joy these other families share at this wondrous time of the year," she informed him.

Accepting the spirit's answer, Pat silently gazed through the window and observed a blond-haired, pre-teenage boy being doted on and spoiled by his parents. He watched as the boy was handed his gifts and then eagerly unwrapped them with all the gusto and excitement he could muster.

"Oh Mom and Dad, I can't believe you bought me this!" the youth exclaimed.

"Well, if you don't want it," his father began, "we could always take it back and exchange it for something else."

His father tried to keep a straight face after saying this, while at the same time winking at his wife. This charade, however, was to no avail, because it was obvious that a smile was beginning to break through his stern façade.

"Unt uh!" his son shrieked. "You know I've wanted this for months, so there's no way you're taking it away from me now."

The boy then lunged forward and wrapped an arm around each of his parents' necks, giving them a mighty squeeze, before kissing them both on the cheek.

"Thank you so much and I love you both," he added.

"And we love you too, son," his mother responded.

"Yes, we do," his father agreed. "Very much."

After saying this, both of his parents hugged him back, to show how extremely appreciative they were of their son's thoughtful display of affection.

Just then, Pat turned to look at the spirit, to determine if she was watching him or the images before them. When he saw she was staring through the window, he turned back and discovered they were now standing outside yet another place.

This time, Pat was looking at a young man with ebony hair, who was only slightly older than the blond-haired boy had been. This boy was seated next to a younger girl, who was most likely his sister, and their parents were regaling them both with a large quantity of gifts. Eagerly the pair ripped open the parcels, so they could discover what was inside. After they had learned what treat was contained within, they thanked their parents for giving them one more item from their lengthy Christmas lists.

Once each of the presents had been unwrapped, both the boy and the girl walked over to their parents and hugged them about the waist. This was the way they chose to thank them, while also telling their Mom and Dad how much they loved them and appreciated everything they'd gotten.

"Open my present to you now," the son told them. "I made it at school."

He was very exited as he watched them pick it up and eager to see their reactions when they finally saw it. He held his breath, apprehensively, as his mother carefully tore away the wrapping paper and exposed the gift. What they found was a Christmas tree ornament in the shape of an old fashioned sled, which had been constructed out of Popsicle sticks.

"Oh, it's adorable," he mother told him, "and it even has a small hole at the top, so we can put a hook in it and attach it to the tree."

"And I got to pick what I wanted to write on it too," the boy added.

"I love you, Mom and Dad. Merry Christmas," his mother read.

"And we love you too," his father replied, "and we'll treasure this gift always."

Pat's eyes began to fill with tears after witnessing this spectacle, so he lowered his head slightly and wiped the moisture away with his sleeve. When he looked up again, he was back in front of his own home, looking through the window at a Christmas from four years earlier.

"Oh, Daddy," his son squealed, "I can't believe you're giving me your model train."

His ten-year old son was dancing around, completely overwhelmed by the significance of this present. He had always loved this toy and wished it belonged to him.

"It was a special gift from my father to me on the last Christmas we were together," Pat advised him. "I have always cherished it, but now I wish for you to have it. I hope you will cherish it as much as I have."

"Oh, yes, Daddy, I will," his son promised, as he leapt into his father's arms and squeezed his neck. "Thank you sooooo much, Daddy. I will always love this and some day I hope to be able to pass it on to my son."

Pat stood in frozen silence as he watched this scene unfold before his eyes. He remembered how special he'd felt at that very moment, because it was almost as wonderful as the feeling he'd experienced during the Christmas he had first been given that same gift.

Returning his attention back to the spectacle before him, he heard the younger version of himself speak.

"You're not done yet," his younger self told his son, while handing him three more packages.

Eagerly the young boy accepted the gifts and opened them, delighted with what he found inside.

"Those are new pieces to add to your set," the younger Pat advised him, "so it will be even better than when I had it. I hope we can add something to it every year and we can both enjoy watching it grow."

"Thank you, Daddy," his son sang out in delight. "This is the best Christmas ever!"

Suddenly the scene started to dim and Pat now discovered he was back at the very place this adventure had begun. Together, he and the spirit reentered his house, but the moment he let go of her hand, she disappeared. Looking at the clock, he noticed only five minutes had passed, although it seemed as if they had spent hour upon hour walking through his past. Since he felt extremely weary from this emotional journey, Pat laid down on the sofa again and within minutes he was sound asleep.

Chapter 3 -- The Second Spirit

Pat was awakened again by the sound of the chime from the grandfather clock in the foyer, but this time it rang only once. As he began to open his eyes, Pat was greeted by a deep, throaty voice that summoned him.

"Pat Righteous, come in here and let me know you better," the voice roared.

Reluctantly, Pat got up and staggered into the living room. There he found a giant of a man, dressed in a forest green robe. This spirit had a full, auburn-colored beard and moustache, and was wearing a wreath of holly around his head. He was also lounging in Pat's favorite chair.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," he announced, forcefully, as Pat approached.

Pat was in awe of this large figure and more than a little intimidated.

"Touch my robe," the spirit ordered, while rising from the chair.

As soon as Pat did as he was told, he suddenly found himself at another location.

"I recognize this place," Pat announced, while looking into the face of his new guide. "I was here a short time ago, with the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"It may have seemed like a short time to you," the spirit responded, "but it has been a few years since you last stood outside this abode. Look through the window and see what changes have taken place."

When Pat peered through the opening, he could see the same blond-haired youth he had seen earlier, only the spirit was correct and the boy now appeared to be a few years older. This time the few presents inside had already been opened, but there was no communication between the boy and his parents and none of them looked happy.

"Spirit, what happened to this family?" he wondered. "When I was here last, they seemed so filled with love and very close to each other."

The Ghost of Christmas Present did not respond, but merely waved his arm and caused the scene to change again. This time the boy and his parents were in a heated argument.

"I'm telling you," his father screamed, "that I will not allow a freak to live in my house. You will give up these unnatural and unholy tendencies and behave like you are supposed to. Boys do not love other boys," his father spat out, "they fall in love with girls. If you don't come to your senses and start doing what is right, then I'll be forced to either beat those faggy feelings out of you or have you committed to an institution until you start behaving normally."

"You think I can change who I am?" his son pleaded. "Dad, could you have chosen not to be straight?"

"No, and I wouldn't have wanted to," he announced, while glaring at his son. "You'll end up going to hell if you keep this up, you know."

"So you say," his son countered, "but I was born this way and there is nothing I can do to change it. If you remember, I tried dating girls, but it never felt right. I'm not attracted to them and I don't get excited when I kiss or touch them. It's not like I have a choice in the matter..." but his father cut him off.

"You DO have a choice and you'd better make it, if you know what's good for you!" his father screamed.

Knowing there was no way he was going to win this argument, the boy bit his tongue and stormed off to his room. He closed the door behind him, hurled himself onto his bed and then began crying softly into his pillow. Seeing this, Pat turned to speak with his guide.

"But the father is correct. The boy DOES have a choice," he insisted. "He doesn't have to choose to be gay."

"Do you truly believe that?" the spirit asked. "Did you choose to be straight?"

"No, because we are all born that way," Pat stated, confidently.

"Are we?" the ghost countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, and the bible condemns homosexuality."

"Did it condemn the act itself or was it only passing along the attitude of the person interpreting God's message? Did the Bible not also tell slaves to obey their masters and women to be totally obedient to their husbands? Times change and so must we. When Jesus was born on this holy day, he ushered in a new way -- one of love and understanding.

"Why is it that you, and others like you, condemn homosexuality so strongly," the spirit continued, "when it is only referenced in obscure verses in the Holy Book. You tend to show less anger and outrage against those who break God's commandments! Shouldn't adulterers, those who take the Lord's name in vain, those who fail to keep the Sabbath, those who don't honor their parents, along with liars, be condemned with the same vigor as you do thieves and murderers? Why do you consider the latter far worse offenses, when they have each broken the laws of God, as set down in the Ten Commandments? You have shown you are willing to forgive adulterers, both other religious leaders and members from your own congregation, and instead have chosen to spend your time focusing on something as trivial as whom someone loves."

"But God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of that very sin," Pat insisted.

"Was it because of the homosexuality or because the people there were trying to force sex upon an unwilling partner?" the spirit countered. "Wasn't it because the visitors were going to be mistreated and not shown any hospitality, as Jesus himself pointed out?"

Pat hesitated before he answered this query, because he was trying to recall the Bible verses that referred to those events.

"No, it was because they wanted to sleep with other men," he stated, adamantly.

"So you say, but I believe that is only one interpretation, a misguided one at that," the spirit offered. "Wasn't it that they planned to force the men to have sex with them, even though they didn't want to?"

"It was because they wanted to commit a sinful act," Pat insisted.

"If Jesus was totally against all sinful acts and all sinners," the spirit followed, "then why did he befriend a prostitute and forgive others who had committed far worse sins?"

"He did," Pat agreed rather weakly, "but not if they repeated that sin..." The spirit cut his answer off, abruptly.

"But did not God tell us in Matthew 7:1 to 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' Isn't judging the actions of mankind God's job, not yours? Even though he asks you to inform others about him and his love and forgiveness, does he not still give each person a choice as to whether he chooses to follow him? Jesus didn't command anyone to follow him, but instead gave each person an opportunity to do so. If they choose not to accept his message, are we commanded to force them into submission? No! When the time comes, it will be God's job to judge their actions and we each shall answer for our own deeds on the day of reckoning. It is not our job here on earth to do the judging for God -- he will do that in his own time."

"But... but..." Pat began to stammer, but the spirit continued speaking and ignored his feeble attempts at a response.

"If it is true, that we are born with our sexual orientation already in tact," the Ghost of Christmas Present continued, "do you think God would only allows heterosexuals to know true love or enjoy an affectionate, caring and intimate relationship?"

"But he condemns homosexuality!" Pat insisted.

"If the gays are born with a natural attraction to members of their own sex, do you truly believe that God would fail to love or accept them just because he created them differently than the others? Wouldn't that be the same as him hating certain groups of people because he created them a different race, made them left-handed instead of right-handed or gave them a different color hair or eyes from everyone else? How could God possibly hate anyone for traits he'd given them and that they had no control over?"

Pat still wasn't convinced the spirit was correct, but he chose to say nothing more on the issue, so his guide let the matter drop as well. Now, he found himself standing before another house he had seen before, but this time it was the home of the ebony- haired youth he had also visited with the first spirit. Once again, the scene inside was nothing like it had been previously, and the love and goodwill of the season no longer seemed to reside within. On this occasion, the youth inside was hurriedly packing his clothes into a small nylon bag, while his parents sat in the other room, arguing.

"I won't allow that type of behavior in my home," the father advised his wife. "I can't believe our son is a fag!"

"Dear, it may only be his experimental phase," she insisted. "He may still outgrow it."

"Well, I warned him that he needed to change his ways and stop seeing that boy, but he did not," the father challenged. "From what I saw him doing, it was more than just experimentation."

"What did the father see?" Pat wanted to know.

Without saying a word, the spirit waved his arm and Pat was now looking through the boy's bedroom window a few days earlier. The raven-haired boy lay sprawled out on the bed next to another young man, both totally naked. They were kissing and fondling each other, but then the raven-haired boy's friend began to slide a condom over his erection. Almost as soon as he'd finished putting it on, the bedroom door suddenly opened and the raven-haired boy's father began to walk in.

Obviously, neither boy thought anyone else was home at the time, so they were surprised by this interruption. The boy's father also stopped short, totally unprepared for that sight he now beheld. As both boys struggled to cover themselves, the father regained his composure and began to scream at the teens.

"I want that pervert out of my house and I never want you to see him again!" he ordered.

"But, Dad, I love him," the boy countered.

His eyes pleaded with his father for understanding, while both he and his friend scrambled to put their clothes on.

"Love? How can you even say that?" his father challenged. "Love is between a man and a woman, not for something as perverted as this. I don't ever want him in my house again and I forbid you from seeing him. If you can't live by my rules, then you'll need to find somewhere else to live."

Having spoken his mind, the father left the room and gave the boys a chance to dress, unobserved.

"So the boy is running away now?" Pat asked the spirit.

"No, the boys continued see each other on the sly, against his father's wishes. They were caught again, except this time neither was naked and they weren't at the boy's house. The father merely saw them walking down the street, hand in hand," the spirit confirmed. "Seeing his son had disobeyed him, the father gave the boy a week to find somewhere else to live and, unfortunately, the final day of that week happened to fall on Christmas Day."

"Well, he was given a warning, so whatever he endures will be of his own making," Pat observed. "He should have heeded his father's words, since the man was merely making a reasonable request."

The Spirit said nothing, but when Pat looked back through the window again, he saw the boy was preparing to leave the house.

"Just a second," his father ordered, as he walked over to the Christmas tree and removed something from one of its branches.

"You might as well take this with you," he added, while handing the boy the homemade ornament he had given his parents previously. "You might as well have it, because it certainly doesn't mean anything to us any longer."

The boy looked extremely hurt and totally crestfallen as he reached out for the ornament and then stuffed it into his bag. It seemed this gesture wounded him even worse than being kicked out of the house.

"This was of his own choosing," Pat offered. "His father is only using tough love to correct his sinful ways."

The Ghost of Christmas Present did not comment further and merely waved his arm. Once he'd done that, Pat found himself back in his own home, totally alone this time.

Chapter 4 -- The Final Spirit

Pat did not fall asleep this time and walked aimlessly from room to room. His mind was consumed with thoughts about what this next spirit might bring, so there was no way he'd be able to get any rest. Even though the other visits hadn't been easy, Pat was looking forward to this spirit's visit least of all. He was even beginning to hope this spirit wouldn't show up, when he was distracted by the sound of the church bells ringing twice.

Pat was able to feel the presence of the final spirit long before he saw it. When he did catch a glimpse of this apparition, it was gracefully drifting toward him, dressed entirely in black. As he looked more closely at it, Pat could discern a skeleton-like form beneath the folds of the fabric, which made this spirit even more intimidating than he had feared. Immediately, Pat dropped to one knee and stayed in that position, but the spirit neither smiled nor spoke.

"Oh, Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come," Pat addressed it, "I fear you more than the other spirits that have visited me tonight, for I know you are about to show me things that have not yet happened."

The specter nodded only slightly and then lifted an arm and extended its bony finger. When Pat turned in the direction the spirit was pointing, he was able to see the first scene begin to unfold before him. In this vision, Pat saw himself, but he looked much older and had a lot more gray hair. He was also triumphantly holding a newspaper, which bore a headline proclaiming that a constitutional amendment had just been passed. Upon reading the article below the headline, it stated that the 'Defense Of Marriage' amendment had officially become law, thus denying gays the right to marry or to be joined in civil unions. This amendment upheld what Pat and his followers considered traditional family values.

Pat also read the headline above another article, which was just below the first one, and it proclaimed the Supreme Court had ruled that granting rights to domestic partners was illegal, thus settling this issue for his group as well. Another headline indicated the same court had also agreed that specifically worded sodomy laws were indeed constitutional, thus giving each state the right to set the morality standards for its citizens -- even the right to regulate private acts performed in the sanctity of their own bedrooms.

Pat watched as this older version of himself was mobbed and cheered by his appreciative followers, since they knew that none of these things would have happened without his involvement. These achievements were mainly the result of the pressure that Pat and his Righteous organization had applied to governmental leaders and the support he had garnered from a large number of people nationwide. Together, they had effectively cleared the way for these advances to take place, which meant Pat had provided the impetus for everything that had now become law.

As various people commented about how Pat had 'restored the moral balance for God fearing people,' and claimed that 'he had saved the country from becoming another immoral wasteland,' Pat reveled in the praise and watched the older version of himself beam with pride.

Without warning, the scene suddenly changed and Pat now found himself back at the blond boy's home. However, this time they were standing in the garage attached to the house and the boy was climbing up a small stepladder. Pat watched in silence as the boy tossed a rope over one of the exposed beams.

"What is he doing?" Pat screamed.

The spirit remained passive and did not react.

"You've got to stop him," Pat pleaded.

The spirit merely shook its head, so Pat turned and watched as the boy tied off the one end of the rope, before placing the other end with the noose around his neck. The blond hesitated for a moment, as if he might change is mind, but then he jumped away from the ladder, knocking it to the ground in the process. Now, there was no way to reverse his actions, as they watched his body jerk and twitch briefly before it became limp. His neck had snapped and ended his suffering quickly, when the weight of his body dropped toward the floor.

Pat felt sick and his body retched, as if it wanted to expel the contents of his stomach, when he realized what he had just witnessed.

'How could that boy choose to kill himself, rather than accept a normal sexual orientation?' he wondered. 'Why wouldn't he be willing to become a regular boy, with natural, healthy desires?'

Pat didn't have very long to pursue these thoughts, however, because he soon found himself watching the young raven- haired youth he had also visited twice before. This time the youth appeared to be living in an abandoned building, an old factory that had long ago outlived its usefulness and been left to decay. The boy was obviously far the worse for wear and it appeared that he had been beaten up a few times, because there were many bruises still observable on the visible parts of his body. His clothing was extremely soiled and threadbare, which suggested that everything else he had taken with him when he left home had either worn out or been stolen long ago.

The boy's face was gaunt and his body looked emaciated, which made Pat wonder how long it had been since he'd had his last meal. At this moment, he thought back upon the words he had spoken during his previous visit to the boy's home, because they now came back to haunt him.

"Well, he was given a warning, so whatever he endures will be of his own making," Pat heard himself say. "He should have heeded his father's words, since the man was merely making a reasonable request."

Once again, Pat wondered why this young man would choose to live like this, rather than give up his unnatural ways and return home. He couldn't help but feel some pity for the boy, because of all the pain he had obviously endured, but then again the boy had made his own bed, so to speak. Pat did wish he could stay here longer and learn more about the teen's predicament, but that was not to be. The scene changed yet again, when the specter lifted its arm.

This time they were standing in an alley and Pat saw a young man trying to hide himself in a large cardboard box. Pat automatically stepped forward, so he could investigate what was going on here. As he peered inside the container, Pat's head suddenly jerked backward and he sucked in his breath. He was reacting this way because he was shocked by what he'd just discovered.

"What is my son doing living like this?" he demanded, but he received no reply.

Instead, his guide lifted its arm once more and the scene shifted yet again. This time Pat was standing inside the shed behind his home watching his own son engaged in oral sex, in a sixty-nine position, with one of his male friends.

'How could my own son be queer?' he wondered.

Pat immediately attempted to determine if he or his wife had made any mistakes while raising him, which might have led the boy to make such a serious error in judgment and do such things. When he concluded they hadn't, he began to question if what the others had said was true.

'Were people really born with their sexual identity predetermined?' he wondered.

Before he had time to ponder this further, the scene shifted one more time, but now they were in Pat's church. Pat was standing at the pulpit giving one of his fire and brimstone sermons about the sinfulness of being gay and loving a member of the same sex. However, this time Pat was also able to watch his son's reaction as he sat in the pew. He watched as the boy squirmed in his seat trying to justify the desires he felt in his heart with the enormity of the sin he was being told he was committing. Pat could tell how difficult it was for his son to come to grips with his feelings and he could also see how hard his son was struggling to rectify these two opposing views. That's when Pat realized his sermon was only making his son's struggle even more intense.

Before he could watch his son react further, the scene shifted yet again, but this time Pat was standing in his son's bedroom, possibly later that same day. This time his son was hurriedly packing some of his belongings into a backpack and then Pat watched in amazement as his son slipped out his bedroom window. His progeny had obviously decided to run away from home, rather than continue to live with his parents and deal with this internal strife.

There was no way Pat could deny the inner turmoil he'd created for his son and the impact he'd inadvertently had in causing the boy to leave home. This knowledge tore Pat up inside. All this time he'd thought everyone was able to make a conscious choice as to their sexual orientation, but now he began to question his own beliefs.

"Are these the things that MUST be, spirit, or only the things that MIGHT be?" he asked the dreadful apparition.

Again, he received no reply, but before his could determine what he should do next, the picture changed once more. This time, Pat was standing before the throne of God, facing both God the Father and God the Son, to receive his final judgment.

"Did I not command you to love one another as I loved you?" the Son of God asked him.

"Yes, you did, but I didn't think that meant for us to accept such abominations." Pat responded, while meekly trying to justify his actions.

"Did you think my commanding you to love one another meant that you should harass those who didn't agree with your views until they either killed themselves or had to withdraw completely from the rest of society? Did you think I meant for you to incite others to hate those you chose to condemn? Did I not teach you that love is the greatest of gift of all?"

Pat did not respond, but merely hung his head in shame.

"It is because of the likes of you that many of my gay children have committed suicide, been murdered or died of neglect on the streets," God the Father said next. "That is a far cry from anything I would ever have wished to happen."

The version of his older self that he was currently watching began to cower, while at the same time his entire torso shook.

"When I created the world," God the Father continued, "I opted not to create everyone alike. I thought it would be boring if everyone looked alike, knew the same things and reacted in the same way, so I allowed for there to be differences among individuals. I created my children with physical, intellectual and emotional differences because I thought that would make life more interesting and enjoyable. I did not do it so some of you could use these factors to deride those different from yourself."

"But we were only trying to do what we thought you wanted," Pat tried to explain.

"Over the ages I have watched many individuals who claimed to be righteous, while at the same time attacking, torturing and even murdering others. To make matters worse, they claimed to be doing these things in my name," God the Father stated. "Why would you, or anyone else, think that I would condone hatred toward your fellow man or suggest using violence to coerce them into changing their ways? That is not how you go about gaining admittance into this heavenly kingdom! Those who purport hatred and violence to correct perceived wrongs are far worse than those they seek to change. It is for this reason that you, along with those others who have done such things, will spend eternity in the pits of hell."

No sooner had those final words escaped the God's lips then Pat found himself falling, as he tumbled into the depths of the fiery pit. He began to scream, unwilling to believe he was going to be forced to suffer this fate when he'd always believed he was doing God's will. He was still flailing and screaming, when his wife began to shake him. As he was slowly brought back to the world of the living, he realized he was merely lying on the floor of his study.

"The spirits wouldn't have shown me these things if they could not be changed," he gasped, more to himself than anyone else.

His unexpected pronouncement brought a very puzzled and worried expression to his wife's face.

Chapter 5 -- The End of It

As Pat began to regain his senses, he realized where he was and what had happened. He also noticed that his son and daughter were also in the room. Apparently, his screaming outburst had awakened the entire family. Seeing his son, he remembered the visions he had just witnessed about him. Feeling guilty, he got up from the floor and went over to the boy, so he could hug him.

"Remember, son," he whispered into the boy's ear, "there is nothing you can do that would ever make me stop loving you."

As he pulled back, so he could look into his son's face, Pat noticed a mixture or joy and confusion in the boy's reaction. Knowing he would have to explain this in more detail later, but in private, he turned and hugged his daughter, before finally embracing his wife.

"I know you are all wondering what happened to me," he began to explain, "but I think it would be best to merely explain that I had a vision from God -- one that made me realize many things. Over time you will discover that I am no longer the man I once was, but hopefully the new man that emerges from tonight will be an even better person than I was before. I haven't time to explain all of this now, because we still need our sleep, but I will tell you more as time goes by."

No one in the family was quite sure what he meant by any of this, but they were willing to wait until he was ready to explain himself more fully. As they each made their way back to their own rooms, Pat followed his son into his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"I know you were confused by what I said downstairs," Pat offered, "but I believe I see things more clearly now than I did before. This means that if you should happen to be gay or bisexual, I will love you nonetheless and will never drive you from our home. All I ask is that when you find someone to love, you will love that person with all your heart. If you do this, then I promise that I will also love that person as much as I love you."

His son found himself speechless after hearing his father's words and greatly moved. To show his gratitude, he threw his arms around his father's body and pinned Pat's arms to his side. Pat's son then gave his father the biggest bear hug they had ever shared and Pat kissed him on the forehead in return, to let his son know how much this meant to him. Once the boy released him, Pat hugged him back and then kissed him goodnight. After he tucked his son into bed, he walked quietly down the hallway to his own room.

When he got there, his wife was already in bed, but he made sure he kissed her first, before snuggling up against her familiar frame. Then, he fell into a blissful, dreamless slumber.

The next morning, Pat began to explain a little bit about what he had experienced the night before to his wife, although he thought it best not to mention the news about their son. He figured it would be best to wait until the boy was ready for the rest of the family to learn about his secret and then he'd let his son inform those he wished to know about his orientation. This decision, however, did not mean Pat was about to wait longer before he began to repent for his former mistakes. His first move would be to change the way he preached to his congregation.

The following Sunday at church, Pat announced that God had spoken to him on Christmas Eve and had made it clear to him that no man or woman could control certain traits about themselves. When he announced that this included their sexual orientation, he heard gasps from a few of those sitting in the pews. He gave them a few moments to absorb and consider his statement more fully, because he also understood their confusion.

Once he felt they'd had sufficient time to ponder his comment on their own, Pat went on to explain that any change a person or an organization professed to have previously made, such as claiming they'd turned a gay person straight, was highly inaccurate. Any such occurrences most likely only resulted because they'd been dealing with an individual whose true orientation was bisexual, not gay, to begin with. Therefore, that particular person did have some choice in the matter, concerning which sex he or she would love. The only other explanation would be that the person was faking his conversion, in order to prevent further harassment.

Pat then went on to caution the congregation that a change of sexual orientation would not be possible if a person was definitely gay. If a person were actually a homosexual, they couldn't be made to love a person of the opposite sex, any more than Pat could be made to love a man. Pat also emphasized that he no longer had a problem dealing with this concept and would welcome homosexual parishioners with the same fervor and open arms that he welcomed the heterosexual members of his church.

After saying this, Pat announced he was going to withdraw his support from legislation prohibiting gay marriage and he would also begin to call for fairer treatment of all gays and their partners. He was also very vocal in suggesting that sodomy laws were not only unnecessary, but also immoral. He now asserted that the only sexual practice that was intolerable was to force another person into having sexual relations that they did not welcome.

Pat didn't stop with only informing his congregation about his current views either. He also made many public speeches and was quoted in newspapers and magazines about his change of heart. He hoped the parents of the blond-haired and ebony-haired boys would see it, along with the parents of others in similar situations, so those young people would not have to endure the ills and misfortunes he had witness when he'd accompanied the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

Pat Righteous was true to his word and became the best friend, best parent, best husband and the best clergyman that anyone could ever want or hope for. In his heart, he knew that what he was now doing was right and would help him avoid the fate that had previously been shown to him.

As his ideas began to spread and were accepted by more and more people, a new ray of hope began to emerge from the gloom. Many cities across the country began to embrace these truths and became happier and more peaceful places in which to live. Although he enjoyed some success at home, not every place in the country, or other countries in the world, reformed their ways, but it was a significant beginning to putting an end to a longstanding problem.

In the areas where this change had taken hold, the true spirit of Christmas began to spread into the hearts of those who had merely thought they understood what the term had meant previously. At long last, many congregations and individuals began to fully understand and appreciate what the true spirit and meaning of Christmas was about. It was that Jesus had been born to bring love and understanding into the world and thus lift the veil of hatred and bigotry that once clouded men's eyes.

May you all now have a very Merry Christmas, as the blond and raven-haired youths, along with so many others, are at long last able to enjoy!

THE END