Santa-Caused
First Published December 10, 2010
(Matthew 2:11)
And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
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Jeff and I were recently shopping in a Wal-Mart® Store browsing when a young tyke and his mother walked (actually the boy was bouncing) down a main aisle. We were close enough to hear “Is this Target®?” His nervous mother replied, “Sh! No, this is Wal-Mart!” Our smiles turned into snickers when we next heard a resounding chant, “Tar-get! Wal-Mart! Tar-get! Wal-Mart!”
It was obvious that the little boy didn’t know the difference between the two stores, and he didn’t care about it either. The same may be said about the American culture, Christmas, and Santa Claus.
What is the message when both a Nativity display and Santa with reindeer display appear on a church lawn? Confusion. Yes, Saint Nicholas of Myna generously gave gifts to the poor in 4th century Greece. But today’s Kris Kringle with the flying reindeer, supernatural elves, and a toy factory at the North Pole is mythical. To a non-believer or “baby” Christian, gift giving associated with the birth of Christ may not be different from Santa Claus. Like the little boy and his Wal-mart versus Target dilemma, people might not see a difference between the symbolism of the tubby man at the mall and the plastic baby in a straw filled wooden box.
We must regain the meaning of Christmas. Do all great gifts come from God or Santa?
Saint Nicholas gave to many men. God gave his Son to Mankind. This is what Christians must reflect. Let’s be sure that our decorations, our songs, and our gift giving reflect Christ’s birthday celebration and not a man in a red suit.
****
Father God, we earnestly seek to make Christmastime a definitive celebration of the birth of Jesus. Help us to teach and live the meaning of Christ through words and actions that point to you as the Almighty. We pray that the hearers of the message of salvation through Christ will make a decision to follow Him. Amen.
Copyright 2010 Karen Vaughn
(Matthew 2:11)
And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
****
Jeff and I were recently shopping in a Wal-Mart® Store browsing when a young tyke and his mother walked (actually the boy was bouncing) down a main aisle. We were close enough to hear “Is this Target®?” His nervous mother replied, “Sh! No, this is Wal-Mart!” Our smiles turned into snickers when we next heard a resounding chant, “Tar-get! Wal-Mart! Tar-get! Wal-Mart!”
It was obvious that the little boy didn’t know the difference between the two stores, and he didn’t care about it either. The same may be said about the American culture, Christmas, and Santa Claus.
What is the message when both a Nativity display and Santa with reindeer display appear on a church lawn? Confusion. Yes, Saint Nicholas of Myna generously gave gifts to the poor in 4th century Greece. But today’s Kris Kringle with the flying reindeer, supernatural elves, and a toy factory at the North Pole is mythical. To a non-believer or “baby” Christian, gift giving associated with the birth of Christ may not be different from Santa Claus. Like the little boy and his Wal-mart versus Target dilemma, people might not see a difference between the symbolism of the tubby man at the mall and the plastic baby in a straw filled wooden box.
We must regain the meaning of Christmas. Do all great gifts come from God or Santa?
Saint Nicholas gave to many men. God gave his Son to Mankind. This is what Christians must reflect. Let’s be sure that our decorations, our songs, and our gift giving reflect Christ’s birthday celebration and not a man in a red suit.
****
Father God, we earnestly seek to make Christmastime a definitive celebration of the birth of Jesus. Help us to teach and live the meaning of Christ through words and actions that point to you as the Almighty. We pray that the hearers of the message of salvation through Christ will make a decision to follow Him. Amen.
Copyright 2010 Karen Vaughn
posted by Karen Vaughn | 10:08 AM
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