Christmas Stories

I find it amazing how fast Christmas sneaks up every year.  Maybe it's because I view the end of December as some far off land; it remains that way until it is right in front of my face.  As the magic day nears so does the argument over "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas", and whether the decorated trees many of us have come to love really do represent a pagan symbol or not.  I am not here to argue either point today, although I do have my own beliefs on both topics.  I want to talk about Santa Claus and Jesus.

Recently in the bible study group I am apart of we have been throwing out whether we as parents share the magic and myth of Santa Claus with our kids, or whether we share the real story of St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus).   Here is an excerpt from the St. Nicholas Center describing the man we have come to know as Santa Claus-

"The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships."

Even though it dispels the myth of a North Pole, flying reindeer and magical elves building toys, this glimpse into the real life of Santa still warms the heart.  The amazing thing about this whole story is that even Santa Claus placed God at the center of his life.  Today, even in the face of a market determined to commercialize on the very idea of gift giving, we must all remember that the birth of Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  In Luke 2: verses 9-14 it says,

"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.  (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

God gave us the gift of His son.  Jesus gave us eternal life through his death.  Give your children and those you love the gift of the story of Jesus' birth this Christmas.  As to which Santa Claus story you tell, that too is your choice.  Isn't that the funny thing about choices, there always seems to be one that is better than the other.