Santa Rocks!

Now that Christmas is nearly here once again, I find myself hearing a recurring discussion in my Pentecostal & Charismatic circles… that of the “Santa controversy.” Growing up, I wasn’t aware of any controversy surrounding Santa; I knew only reindeer, milk & cookies, gifts, and rosy cheeks. Sure, I was disappointed for an evening when I found out that Santa wasn’t real. But it was a great trade-off for the years of joy that preceded it.

So what is the great brouhaha? Oh, I suppose it’s numerous issues. I hear genuinely concerned parents afraid to tell their kids about Santa because when they find out it was make-believe, then the kids will not trust the parents; or the kids will then think that Jesus is also make-believe. I can’t imagine this even being a possibility in my childhood. Not only did I never experience trust issues with my parents after I got a revelation of St. Nick… but it never even crossed my mind that Jesus, also, might be make-believe. I suppose that had everything to do with the fact that Santa never made my parents cry, Santa was never prayed to, Santa was never hailed from the pulpit, Santa never had hands lifted to him in worship, I never took classes on Santa, I never gave money to Santa, my parents never heard from Santa… yet all this was true of Jesus. The two never once were confused in my mind. One was real and active in my family’s life; the other was a fun, holiday tradition–much like the Easter Bunny or some cartoon character.

I have heard other concerned parents voice that Santa somehow displaces Jesus at Christmastime. I suppose it is possible to do that, but it was always very plain and clear to me that we were celebrating Christ’s birth. And I always knew that Christmas was all about Jesus, even with special visits from Santa. I never expected Jesus to bring me presents on His birthday; after all, it’s His birthday, not mine! So gifts from Santa just made holiday times that much more special. It never precluded Jesus in my mind or heart. Before we ever opened gifts at Christmastime, whether from family or from Santa (and there were always both!), we would read from the Bible the story about Jesus’ birth. We never read a Santa tale, never watched Rudolph or Charlie Brown. We simply read about Jesus.

I understand that everyone has had a different experience. But I share mine just to say this: Santa can be a very wonderful part of a godly family’s Christmas season–and still have kids who are totally devoted to Jesus, and who fully trust you, and who have no problem discerning fantasy and reality. I would recommend to anyone who is concerned that their child might lose sight of Jesus in the light of Santa, to read the following true story about C. S. Lewis:

It began when 9-year-old Laurence, an eager fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, confided to his mother that he was afraid that he loved Aslan the lion (the Christ figure in the series) more than he loved Jesus. Did that make him an idol worshipper? Philinda Krieg [the mother] promptly wrote in care of the publisher and told Lewis of her son’s confusion. So concerned was the author when he learned of Laurence’s distress that the Kriegs had an answer in just 10 days.

“Tell Laurence from me, with my love,” Lewis wrote in a detailed letter, “ … [He] can’t really love Aslan more than Jesus, even if he feels that’s what he is doing. For the things he loves Aslan for doing or saying are simply the things Jesus really did and said. So that when Laurence thinks he is loving Aslan, he is really loving Jesus: and perhaps loving Him more than he ever did before. … I don’t think he need be bothered at all. God knows all about the way a little boy’s imagination works (He made it, after all) … .”

There’s something to be learned from this. Parents, if you’re in a Santa dilemma, may I recommend to you… Let your kids dream fanciful dreams. Let them imagine. Experience the wonder and joy of Christmas with them as they indulge in this wonderful, age-old tale of this joyful, benevolent old Grandpa from the North.

As for my kids, their lives are already full of tales of trolls mining gold in the walls, talking trains hiding in their ears, army men taking cover out back behind the barn, and lions lurking in the nursery closet. This Christmas, and every holiday season thereafter, I’ll be sure to add Santa to the vision of sugarplums dancing in their heads. And I, for one, will surely be receiving gifts from Santa in my stocking this year. It’s been happening for the last 30 Decembers; this year will be no different–and I would have it no other way!

~ by Adrian Schoonmaker on December 2, 2007.