Santa and Jesus
With the Christmas season upon us, and a 10 year old in the house, I had somewhat prepared myself for the age old statement, "I don't believe in Santa any more." I don't think we can ever fully prepare ourselves for the loss of innocence of our oldest child. There is something disheartening about knowing they have moved on to another stage of belief. As much as I had pondered how I would respond, I was quite impressed with myself when I was finally confronted with the issue.I don't believe in lying. Its all too messy of an affair and with my feeble memory- too hard to keep track of which story has been told to which person. Truth is always best, but there are occasions when the truth sometimes seems too harsh, or when it seems just a tad inappropriate for the situation. The loss of Santa in a child's world is one of those occasions.
Many have great issues with the fat man in the red suit and his commercialization in the Christmas season. I choose to focus on the essence of Santa. His concept is good. He gave toys to children who had nothing. He was selfless. He worked hard to make others happy. When we speak of Santa in our house, it is not to detract from the celebration of Jesus' birth, but to enhance the celebration of giving and the spirit of love.
Lily declared to me, "Santa isn't real." I asked her why she felt that way. Her response was, "I know YOU put the packages under the tree. I know YOU wrote the note he left last year. I know YOU put the stuff in our stockings. I know YOU did all the things you let us believe that Santa did." ( I also eat the cookies every year. Why should they go to waste?)
So I said to her, "Does that mean God isn't real?" She would never dream of questioning that reality, and I knew it. Indignantly, she said, "Of course God is real!" So I told her that I do God's work. I help out at church. I perform tasks that many attribute to Godly work. I said that her argument against Santa meant that God didn't exist either. I left it at that. I was hoping to invoke in her some thinking. I did (yeah!)
Time went by and I went about my business. Shortly she came to me and said, "Mom, I was thinking about what you said, and I think Santa IS real." Chalk one up to Fat Old Mom ingenuity! It's not what we see that makes something real....its how we perceive it and how it makes us feel. I know it won't last forever, and someday she will know that the bearded man doesn't come down our chimney (if we had one!) on Christmas Eve, but I have held back her innocence for one more year and now she understands the reason for the season just a little better.
posted by Lori Anne | Tuesday, November 22, 2005
11 Comments:
Why would you want to perpetuate that lie, one more year? Santa is the non believer's way of getting our attention off of Christ and the real reason for the season. As a Christain, there should be no need for Santa. Why make up something that is good and does good things when you have the real thing in Jesus?
I didn't make up Santa and I am not perpetuating a lie. It is a fact that his presence exists in Christmas, so why not turn him into something uplifting to the season instead of fighting a power that is a reality? If I arm my children with the truth, they will return to the truth. They know Christ is the reason for the season, but as with people, there is room for all within our world. We can be tolerant of others while holding fast to our own beliefs.
I believe that there is Christ in all of us to love and help one another, just as there is a Santa in all of us, to love and help one another. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, singing Christmas caroles in the name of Jesus as my husband and I decorate our tree. I really enjoy your uplifting stories. Thanks for sharing.
Gail T.
Santa is not reality. Santa is fictional. Let your children grow up knowing the ONLY reason for Chrismas. Christ our lord. Don't fog it with some fictional character that has nothing more to do with Christ than the Easter bunny does.
Hating the image of Santa seems contrary to the teaching of Christ. I don't believe he would condemn the 'story' of Santa (whether it is based in reality or truly fictinal). Santa gave...he was selfless....he personifies love much as Christ does. He is not here to take the place of Christ, but to provide another example of how Christ works through people to enhance the lives of others through giving. I'm sorry if your philosophies do not match mine, but apparently you are intrigued by what you read here since you continue to return. I respect your opinion and hope you can respect mine. Life would be boring if we all had the same mind....
A local Christian radio station just did a little blurb about St. Nicholas. He lived his life with a Christlike mindset and loved and shared with his fellow man. He was not in competition with our Savior, but one of his warriors. Of course Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus and all the worldly trappings are excess baggage. So, does that mean no twinkling lights, trees, family dinners, exchange of gifts? For some maybe, for others the celebration includes fellowship, sharing, surprises, etc. One man chose to give gifts at this time as a way of celebrating this event. What's the harm? If someone ONLY knows "Santa", then they aren't really celebrating CHRISTmas. But for those of us who DO KNOW the real reason for the celebration, good deeds and gift giving do not contradict.
I have to say that I agee with the first anonymous. Lying in any form is wrong. There is no "white lie". A lie is a lie.. Shame on you for lying to your children! And not beleiving in Santa is in 'no way shape or form' the same as not believing in God. We have God's word and Jesus rose from hte dead. Everyone knows Santa was made up. Santa did not give to needy children or do good deeds. He wasn't REAL! The story of him did these things. Rememeber Santan does good things to prepare us for when the AntiChrist will, initially, do what appers be good, when all the while he has a secret a secret agenda. No matter how good it souds pray about it and see what God speeks to your heart.
I have to say that I agee with the first anonymous. Lying in any form is wrong. There is no "white lie". A lie is a lie.. Shame on you for lying to your children! And not beleiving in Santa is in 'no way shape or form' the same as not believing in God. We have God's word and Jesus rose from hhe dead. Everyone knows Santa was made up. Santa did not give to needy children or do good deeds. He wasn't REAL! The story of him did these things. Rememeber Santan does good things to prepare us for when the AntiChrist will, initially, do what appers be good, when all the while he has a secret agenda. No matter how good it souds pray about it and see what God speeks to your heart.
I have to say that I agee with the first anonymous. Lying in any form is wrong. There is no "white lie". A lie is a lie.. Shame on you for lying to your children! And not beleiving in Santa is in 'no way shape or form' the same as not believing in God. We have God's word and Jesus rose from hhe dead. Everyone knows Santa was made up. Santa did not give to needy children or do good deeds. He wasn't REAL! The story of him did these things. Rememeber Santan does good things to prepare us for when the AntiChrist will, initially, do what appers be good, when all the while he has a secret agenda. No matter how good it souds pray about it and see what God speeks to your heart.
I'm interested to know from my critics...how do YOU celebrate Christmas? Have you eliminated Santa all together from your celebration? Do you put up a tree? Do you decorate your home with twinkling lights? Do you celebrate with food...? Do you justify these things in any way? I have a feeling if you truly analyzed your celebration, it would not be PURE. I am not here to judge, but merely ask some hard questions.
It saddens me that we are having this and other similar conversations (the supposed "war on Christmas") surrounding the true celebration of the Christ's birth and other celebrations surrounding it. These, I believe are much ado about nothing and distract us all from where our true worship belongs.
Some thoughts:
1.) It's a pity that in all of these discussions, no one says anything about Advent. This time of year has been all but forgotten. You see, today is not Christmas. Yesterday was not Christmas and tomorrow it still will still not be Christmas. Today we are at the end of that four week-long time of breathless anticipation, waiting for the birth of the Christ child - Christmas. Christmas does not begin until midnight Christmas Eve (or Christmas morning) and lasts twelve days until January sixth - Epiphany. How many of us will sing or listen to carols during Christmas? Few of us, I gather. We and the marketplace will consider Christmas to be over at noon on Christmas Day. After Christmas Sales, if one really wants to be literal, shouldn't begin until the 6th.
2.) Speaking of the marketplace, I would prefer the employees of Target and WalMart say "Happy Holidays" because I don't wish to sully the holiness of Christmas with the economic marketplace. Recall how Jesus felt about sullying the holy with the marketplace? (Luke 19:45-46)
3.) Finally, Rudolph, trees, Santa, food, cards, letters, "Winter Wonderland," garish lighting displays, TV Specials, cookie walks, Scrooge, caroling..., what have you, are not Christmas either. I hate to break this to anyone, but these are the "holidays." Let us not confuse the "holidays" with the "Holy Day." Placing any of these above the heartfelt, humble, and holy worship of God's inbreaking of human history to redeem humanity to God's self through the life, teaching, death and resurrection of this child is nothing short of idoloatry. Let us get our priorities in line. Friends, there is nothing wrong with the holidays (that includes Santa) and a Christian's celebration of the same. We can do so without shame or sin. We cross the line when when the holidays, their trappings, and our discussions of them become Christmas and the reason we worship.
Post a Comment
<< Home