Christmas’s True Meaning Part 1: George Bailey

For this three-part article series, I am going to analyze the true meaning of Christmas from the perspective of three famed protagonists of beloved classics.

In the first of the series, we take a look at George Bailey from the classic holiday film, It’s a Wonderful Life.  George Bailey sees what life would be like if he had never existed, thanks to the help of Clarence, his Guardian Angel.

It was Christmas Eve 1945. George Bailey had a deficit of $8,000 to pay off. He awaits the arrival of his brother, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in the Pacific as a Navy aviator, saving the lives of troops on a transport ship.

As his Uncle Billy goes to the bank and squares away the deficit, he loses it only to land in the hands of Henry Potter. When George learns that he has no way to pay it off, he berates his family and those around him with the intention of killing himself. His family and friends plead for help while his wife, Mary, scrambles around town. Those prayers reach heaven.

Meanwhile, his Guardian Angel, Clarence, learns about him and reminds him of all that he has accomplished in his life. George encounters him as he is about to jump into the river. After wishing that he had never lived, George sees what would happen to everyone he knows if he had never been born.

Clarence guides George to a reality without George Bailey. He would later tell George, “Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

After his epiphany, George begs to have his life back, asking for Clarence’s help. With the help of Clarence, George realizes that the simplest things in life are enough. In the end, he was showered with love as he made sacrifices not only for his family but others.

The prophet Isaiah tells us, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” Isaiah 55:1-3

Through George Bailey, we learn to love and sacrifice for others like Christ has. He teaches us that the simple things in life are enough. He never cared about the big job, his life ambitions, or his life goals. Rather, he was the richest man in town when he showed love to everyone in Bedford Falls.

As Clarence also reminds us, “Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." It was through his friends and Clarence that George reawakened his spirit of living a wonderful life in humble circumstances.  

Note: NBC broadcasts It’s a Wonderful Life at 8 PM on Christmas Eve. It can also be watched on Amazon Prime in black and white or color.