There are a lot of Santa Claus stories floating around this time of
year. Almost all of them are completely based in fantasy. Flying
reindeer; a sleigh full of gifts; precarious chimney climbing; a fluffy
red suit — all of that is total fiction.
But when my kids used to ask me, “Dad, is Santa Claus real?” I didn’t say “No.” In fact, I answered in the affirmative.
(Pause for dramatic effect.)
Like any good student of church history, I explained that Santa
Claus was actually a fourth-century pastor named Nicholas of Myra who
was later considered a saint by the medieval Roman Catholic Church. He
was a favorite of Dutch sailors who called him, “Sinter Klaas” (or
“Saint Nicholas”) which then came into English as “Santa Claus.”
Of course, I was careful to point out that the modern American
version of Saint Nicholas bears absolutely no resemblance to
the fourth-century pastor from Asia Minor. The real Nicholas did not
live in the North Pole. He was not Scandinavian. He did not drive a team
of magical caribou. He did not work with elves. Nor did he travel the
world every Christmas Eve exchanging presents for milk and cookies.
No, he was a pastor. He worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. And he
would have been appalled at the way his legacy has been used to obscure
the true meaning of Christmas.
But I digress… Continue at Nathan Busenitz
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