CULTURAL RELIGIOUS SUBSTITUTE

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

In life, there is the tolerance of several anomalies (something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected). One of them occurs at this time of year when there is the Calendar designation of Christmas Day. It is supposed to convey that in a Judeo-Christian Culture there was a particular day in History when Jesus Christ was born. Whether or not December 25 is the accurate date is not the issue. It is a day that recognizes the fact of His literal birth more than 2,000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem. 

A deviation began to occur with the introduction of one derived from an 1823 poem entitled, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” and of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast. While Saint Nicholas is known differently in various countries, in the United States and Canada he has become known as Santa Claus. Children have been reared to believe that Santa Claus makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior (naughty or nice) and to deliver presents, including toys, and candy to all of the well-behaved children in the world, and sometimes coal to the naughty children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the flying reindeer who pull his sleigh.

He has become a type of a cultural religious icon. An icon can be “a picture, image, or other representation; a person or thing that is revered or idolized.” In the matter of Santa Clause, he has become a substitute or alternative to Jesus Christ (God). The question may be, “Why? Or “In what way?” Reference the secular song “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” For those who are led to believe in Santa Claus, the lyric to this song contains an anomaly. On the one hand, the song conveys: “He's making a list and checking it twice, Gonna find out who's naughty and nice, Santa Claus is comin' to town. He sees you when you're sleepin'; He knows when you're a wake; He knows if you've been bad or good - So be good for goodness sake.” On the other hand, the song suggest that the way he knows is if you write him a letter: “Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play. He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day. You'd better write your letter now and mail it right away, because he's getting ready his reindeer's and his sleigh.” If he is assigned the ability to know who has been naughty and nice, Santa has been assigned the non-communicable attribute of God, namely, Omniscience (the capacity to know everything that there is to know).

The Biblical statement about God is that He is the only one with limitless knowledge. Proverbs 15:3 informs us: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Psalm 33:13-15 indicates: "The Lord looks down from heaven. He sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.” The point made by the Psalmist is that God knows everyone personally (Matthew 10:29-30, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered”) and knows everything that one does privately (Matthew 6:4, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret”). In Colossians 1:15-20, we learn of the supremacy and preeminence of Jesus Christ: He is “the image of the invisible God…in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…in everything He is to have the supremacy (preeminence).” 

In our nation, the Crèche (Nativity Scenes representing Jesus Christ's birth, displayed in public at Christmas) are forbidden in most places; the singing of Christmas Carols that name Jesus Christ are not allowed; Happy Holidays has replaced Merry Christmas; commercialization has replaced the solemnity of the Birth of Jesus Christ and worship of Him. Matthew 2 tells of wise men who came seeking Jesus Christ, King of the Jews. They rejoiced when they saw Him; bowed down and worshiped Him; and gave Him gifts. Wise people today should focus upon Jesus Christ and commit themselves to honor and worship Him alone. Consider these things with me.