Shocked is something I hardly
experience anymore. I suppose my travels across the states and in
other countries has left me somewhat hardened over the actions of
others. It is not that I do not care about what people do, but I am
no longer surprised at other people's follies and attitudes. With
this in mind, there are rare occasions that cause me to think "what
in the world are they doing? " You see, not long ago I was in a
store with my kids, when I heard an elderly lady ask my six year old
son, “What is Santa bringing you for Christmas?” His response was
classic, “Santa is not real!” Immediately her eyes glared with
shock and a little bit of anger. She then proceeded to argue with him
that Santa is real. This altercation only lasted a few seconds, but
she ended this trivial debate by saying, “Well! Good children get
their gifts from Santa, and bad kids get their gifts from their
parents.”
I bit my tongue hard. Though I am not sure whether I
would have yelled back at her or just busted out laughing. It amazes
me how many people I meet scream over how intolerant “liberals”
can be yet when it comes to Santa Claus, they make sure you know
that you should show reverence to the idea of him or at the very least play along
with a smile on your face.
I have heard all the same arguments over why I am a terrible parent
because I don't teach my kids that an all-knowing, cookie eating, and
out-of-shape do-gooder gives them gifts. Then, for some odd
reason, I had to take the time to purchase and wrap those gifts. Of course, Santa
is not enough for some people. Now they need a reason to destroy
their homes and blame it on a little creature. No, I am not referring
to the movie Gremlins. I am referring to the weird and growing fad of
Elf on the shelf.
Some people have seen very little. They are living in a first world country and have not realized that promoting Santa should be the last of concerns, during Christmastime. Am I the stick in the mud, the knot on
a log? Am I the Grinch and an unconverted Scrooge? Yes, I suppose I
am and I am better for it. I hear people talk about how I am not
letting my children be kids, because I am stripping away the magic.
Magic? Are you serious? I never knew there were so many learned
wizards in America. With every child that will receive gifts under
the artificial ruse of Santa , there will be three in this world who
do not. Does this make their childhood “null and void”? Those who
speak of the “magic of Christmas” need to be honest with
themselves and realize that they are only reliving fading memories
through their kids. American kids love Christmas. You know why? Is it
Santa or elves and reindeer? Hardly. Let's be real. They love
Christmas because they get presents. That's it. The “magic” is
materialism. Do you think they would care about a bearded fat man who
smiles, if he did not have a selling point of giving them whatever
they want?
Probably, the only reason some parents fight hard for Santa is
because they cunningly use him as a way to make their children
behave. Many grandparents love this as well, so of course they will
fight for Santa since he is their subtle nanny. I had someone once
argue the point that teaching Santa to your kids is good, because he
is like God! What nonsense! Of course, I
have known of some teenagers who came to equate the jolly old man
with God, but sadly they came to reason that if Santa was just a cute fable,
then God was simply a myth as well. If
anything, the teaching of Santa distorts the gospel in the
eyes of children. It is probably never thought of but are we not
creating a false idol, when we tell children that there is someone
else other than God who knows all and can practically be everywhere
present? Are we not diminishing the teaching of God's grace, when we
tell kids that they will not get gifts unless they are good
throughout the year? James 1:17 states, “Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to
change.”
(ESV)
Don't
be so quick to write off Santa as harmless fun. Now, I realize that
he is partly inspired by the real life of St. Nicholas and there have
been some who point out this fact so they can feel good about their
decision to "fib" to their kids. Yet, you'll be hard pressed to ever
find them telling their children about St. Nick as much as Santa.
Would it not be more beneficial to tell kids about an ordinary man
who wanted to share the love of Christ in an extraordinary way?
Instead of magnifying Santa and how they
will get awesome gifts if they are good, why not magnify the fact that
we are all called to give of ourselves and as Christ said, “It
is more blessed to give than to receive”?
(Acts 20:35) This is what made
A Christmas Carol
such a wonderful read. Scrooge learned to give. I know I previously
wrote that for kids in America, the “magic” of Christmas was
materialism, but my aim as a Christian and a parent is to show my
kids that the joy, wonder, and “magic” of life is being spent,
through the Spirit of Christ, on the needs of others.
Finally, in no way do I have some kind of disdain for people who teach their kids about Santa. Sadly, I realize that for many, it is one of those unwritten rules. They grew up with it and that is really all they know. My beef is with those who feel that it is their obligation to remind you that you are a Grinch, if you don't celebrate the way they do; and with those who look at kids, who don't acknowledge Santa's existence, like they are deprived and empty. As if Christ is not enough to have a Merry Christmas! Alright, I
think I am done venting...for now.
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