Yes, there really is a Santa Claus. He does not, however, look like today's modern, secular image. But his character in real life is even better than how he is portrayed by the guy in the red suit.
Rather, he is but one of many in nearly 2000 years of those who have heard the message of Christ Jesus and have lived it in their lives - and some who are what we might call today, “extreme” Christians: or the Saints. And one of those saints is one who appears in iconic form quite a bit this time of year: Saint Nicholas, whose “day” is Today: December 6.
There is growing interest in reclaiming the original saint in the United States to help restore a spiritual dimension to this festive time. For indeed, St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint of children, is a model of how Christians are meant to live. A bishop, Nicholas put Jesus Christ at the center of his life, his ministry, his entire existence. Families, churches, and even some schools are embracing true St Nicholas traditions as one way to claim the true center of Christmas-the birth of Jesus. Such a focus helps restore balance to increasingly materialistic and stress-filled Advent and Christmas seasons.
Quite a bit is known of this Saint, and where history fails, legend and tradition continue. Lets face it: though early Lutherans tended to reject the saints based upon their critique of the veneration of the saints in the Catholic tradition, America was not settled by Lutherans only. In fact, Lutherans comprise but a fraction of those who settled, and so as the first ships began arriving in the new world, Saint Nick came along for the ride as someone who was widely respected and remembered from their worship in Europe. In fact, Jacksonville, Florida (quite a bit warmer today than here) used to be named St. Nicholas Ferry, after this 4th century saint. The Spaniards, Dutch, and German immigrants all brought this Saint with them, because he was widely venerated as a saint for the ordinary person. In fact it was the Dutch who had a tradition of Saint Nicholas visiting homes and leaving sweets, nuts, and foods on windowsills on New Year’s eve.
It was not until 1821, however, that in America, an anonymous poem had “Sante Claus” as a rider in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer coming in from the north and delivering presents to those children who were good. And thus the American legend of Santa Claus was born, being depicted in the more popular story, “the night before Christmas,” and appearing as a roly poly white bearded gentleman in a red suit in a series of ads by the Coca Cola company in the mid 1900's, and thus the legend continues - even now supplanting the legend of St. Nick worldwide.
The historic Saint Nicholas, as Bishop of the region of Myra, (present day Mediterranean Turkey), attended the Council of Nicea (325 AD) and is partly responsible for the historic confession of faith, the Nicene Creed. In fact, legend has it that the heretic, Arius, who was refuted in Nicea, got so loud at one point that Nicholas walked up to him and slapped him. He was an ardent defender of the faith, and even apologized for his physical outburst to Arius, despite Arius being branded a heretic by the council. He was a defender and helper of the poor, the orphans, and children in general. This is the real Saint Nicholas, and it shows us that Santa Claus puts Jesus first, middle, and last. He takes his call as a Christian first to be the most serious, so that when the Gospel calls us to make Christ known, we too should follow the sage wisdom of Nicholas and respond as well. This is the real spirit of Christmas, handed to us by Saint Nicholas, and I hope we all hold this spirit in our hearts. Advent calls us to repent and prepare for Jesus’ return. Christmas calls us to hold that Christ-filled spirit of Saint Nicholas not just this time of year, but throughout.
It's been a long journey from the Fourth Century Bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas, who showed his devotion to God in extraordinary kindness and generosity to those in need, to America's jolly Santa Claus, whose largesse often supplies luxuries to the affluent. However, if you peel back the accretions, he is still Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, whose caring surprises continue to model true giving and faithfulness. That’s the spirit. Let’s claim it. Let’s reclaim it. Lets live it.
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