As Christmas approaches each year, something changes.
Once we get into November, my mood changes, just like most people become more cheerful and lighthearted, thoughtful and generous. In a nutshell, as Christmas approaches each year, people become more human. There is something about the spirit of Christmas that brings out the best in people.
Christmas today is a fascinating amalgamation of the birth of Jesus and the legend of a fourth-century bishop. There is something about Christmas that draws people, of all religions to celebration.
Then of course there is Santa Claus and the question most parents dread: Is Santa real?
St Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek city of Myra (modern-day Demre, Turkey). During his life, he gained the reputation of uncommon concern for the needs of the people, and after his death he became renowned as a great miracle worker. Nobody knows where the red suit and white beard came from, but Nicholas had a profound understanding of the method Jesus used throughout his ministry. When you read the four Gospels, you discover that Jesus almost never preached before he attended to some human need. He would heal someone, make the lame walk or the blind see. He would feed the hungry, often thousands at a time.
Jesus’ concern for people’s physical and material needs is one of the things that set him apart from the spiritual leaders of his time. Nicholas understood that. He understood that it is hard to listen to the Word of God if you are hungry and thirsty. He realized that it is even difficult to believe in God if your children are dying of hunger. Poverty has been an obstacle on the path to God for billions of people throughout history and it is still an obstacle today. The saints realized that we each have the power to help some people overcome this obstacle.
I love seeing someone intercede to solve a problem or improve a situation. Religious leaders throughout history have a reputation for being disconnected from the daily realities of the people they claim to serve. This is why Jesus and the prophets were repulsed by so many called spiritual leaders. But Nicholas had the heart of a servant and was deeply in touch with the needs of his people. Out of this great generosity and thoughtfulness Santa Claus was born.
Is Santa Claus real? Yes, and his real name is Saint Nicholas.
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