Santa isn't real.
That's it, I've said it - I'm sorry but someone needed to say it. Sorry.
I can remember very clearly the day my mum sat me down and told me the shocking piece of news I've just dumped on you. I had had my suspicions for a while but this was all the confirmation I needed. Outwardly as she told me I was picture of confidence and coming-of-age maturity, I wore an expression that said 'duh of course mum, I'm not an idiot!' but inwardly I wept knowing that my boyhood was over and adulthood beckoned... ok so maybe not but it was a memorable occasion nonetheless.
If you've ever felt like me or if you're simply finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that Santa isn't real you may be relieved to also read what I'm about to say:
Santa is real, they lied to me about the lie. That's right you read correctly, Santa is real and he can teach us a lot about how to live as a Christian.
Santa (who went by the name Nicholas) was born in the 3rd Century into a rich family in the small village of Patara, Turkey. He was a young boy when tragically both of his parents died of a disease leaving him as an orphan but give his familiy's wealth he had a huge amount of inheritance money, he was set up for life.
His parents had raised him in the Christian faith and given him enough reason to trust and follow Jesus that even though he suffered great loss, he did not lose his sight of his saviour. He maintained his Christian faith and became a wonderful example of the joy and privilege of being raised in a Christian home and trusting God through difficulty. Nicholas took seriously Jesus' words to the rich young ruler in Luke's gospel 'go sell everything you have and follow me.' He used his inheritance money to help those in need, especially children in poverty. He became known as someone who frequently gave gifts to children, often at night and often by putting the presents inside large socks or stockings, hence the tradition. One of the most famous stories of Nicholas's kindness was to three sisters he knew. The girls grew up in a poor family and in that part of the world a dowry (like a gift enabling you to marry) was needed to pay for the girls to be legible for marriage. They couldn't afford this sum of money however and were forced with no other option than to enter a life of forced prostitution to pay for their wedding dowry. Nicholas stepped in to help the family and paid for all three of the girls' dowries thus freeing them and saving them from a horrible life of sexual slavery.
Nicholas travelled and eventually got voted in as a the Bishop of Myra (a place that the apostle Paul visited in Acts 27) where he served as a church leader until the day he died in December 343AD. While he lived he is also known to have been a great defender of the truth and travelled to the legendary Council of Nicea in 325AD which was a council of church leaders that met to discuss and defend the Bible's claims about who Jesus is.
As an individual he took on legendary status and after his death was made a 'saint' by the Catholic church (even though we're all saints already if we are followers of Jesus, but that's besides the point!) and the town of Myra began celebrating his life each year with a festival that involved the giving of gifts to those in need.
Throughout his life then he displayed a believe in Jesus that expressed itself through caring for the poor and through defending truth. He expressed God's heart to the world by the way he lived and by the way he spoke. We would do well to imitate him in the same way. Love Jesus, follow him and lead others into knowing him and doing the same.
This Christmas you can be like Santa, the original Santa, by doing the same as he did. Give to those in need, care for those in need and love Jesus making it your life's aim to lead other people to know and love him as well.
For more information on the history of Christmas and how we got from Nicholas in Myra to the Santa of the Coke cans, check out this link:
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