This year I have had more run ins with parents about the “Santa situation”. To believe or not to believe. It is a common question with young parents and so I wanted to post some of my thoughts on the old portly purveyor of presents.
There are two sides of Santa we need to remember…
Santa IS fun.
I mean c’mon he is a jolly old fat guy that brings joy to little kids. He is a symbol of a season that is supposed to be a time of fun and joy. In my home we “play” the Santa game. Our kids know that he is not real but we play the game anyway. We put out the stockings and the milk and cookies. We make our lists. It is just part of our fun that we do during the season. We can have fun without guilt or diminishing the true meaning of Christmas. We enjoy the movie It’s a Wonderful Life every year at this time…but I never get offended because of the poor theology about angels in the movie, thus banning it from my home.
There is a part of the Christmas season that is fun and there is a part that is sacred. There is nothing sacred about ELF but I like it. There is nothing sacred about the Christmas tree but I like it. There is nothing sacred about egg nog but I like it. There is nothing sacred about the current portrayal of Santa Claus…but I like it. You can have fun and teach good history and theology AT the same time.
(Side note – for all of you “keep Christ in Christmas” folk. Christmas is on a Sunday this year and I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “I can’t make it we have family traditions.”)
Santa IS real.
However, we also need to understand that Santa IS real. He was a real person. He didn’t ride magic reindeer. He didn’t go down chimneys and he didn’t lead an army of toy making elves. He was a Bishop named Nicholas in Asia Minor in the 4th century. His parents died when he was young and he inherited a lot of money and he used that wealth to help the poor, especially the children.
He was a Bishop that was invited to the Council of Nicaea in in 325. This was an important council that was debating a topic that was pretty important….the divinity of Jesus. Nicholas got in a heated debate with another Bishop present and it ended with him punching him in the face. Nicholas was jailed but later released after the council ended and restored as Bishop.
You can say two things about Santa definitively. He loved children and he loved Jesus. THAT IS THE REAL SANTA.
I teach my children about the real Santa Claus. I teach them that over the centuries he has become a legend simply because he was relentless in his love for Jesus and Children. I teach them that we can make a difference that will last for generations too. All we have to do is Love God and Love People.
To wrap this up…ha ha get it.
I won’t tell you to teach kids to believe or not to believe in Santa. However, I think there is a way to teach them and play with them at the same time. I think it is the best of both worlds. I hope this helps some of you. What do you think?
Sean Rheaume 