A few weeks ago I read an article by Evan Foster for the blog Leaders Go Last about Santa Clause…. Well, no actually it was about Saint Nicholas. The man who Santa Clause is based on.
There is limited documentation on Saint Nicholas as he did his good deeds in secret. Yet no matter how quietly he did things his good deeds became the stuff of legends.
A few facts that are agreed on to be true about Saint Nicholas are:
- He lived around the years 260 to 333
- His parents died when he was young, but left him a large inheritance that he chose to share with others
- He was a Bishop for the area of Myra, in modern day Turkey
- He attended the Council of Nicaea
- He was extraordinarily popular after his death – in fact, historians say that Nicholas was represented by medieval artists more than any other saint except Mary.
And the fact that we all can agree in is that he was extremely generous. His generosity became known after he died due in part to a father Saint Nicholas assisting in providing dowries for his three daughters. St. Nicholas Day on December 6 is celebrated around Europe, with children putting their shoes out in hopes that he would place a coin or gift inside. Over the years St. Nicholas Day melted into Christmas.
In America, St. Nicholas has become known as Santa Claus. For Christians, Santa Claus has created a line. We struggle with the Santa Clause taking away the “true meaning” of Christmas and yet the birth of Christ would not have actually been in December. More along the lines of April as Mary and Joseph were traveling for the census at the time of Passover.
Evan Foster’s article pointed out principles from the Story of Saint Nicholas that we as Christians should put into practice.
Let’s start in Matthew 6:2-4. We are instructed to give in what? In secret. Saint Nicholas’s story is known, not because he flaunted his giving, but because those he gave to shared what he had done.
Our giving and good deeds should be done in secret. We live in a culture that celebrates promoting ourselves in the best light. Especially our good deeds and giving. As Christ instructed and Saint Nicholas exemplified we should do things in quite humility.
Saint Nicholas was also kind. It is through kindness that God works to change the world. There are many examples from the Bible that speaks to kindness. Foster gave the example of Ruth. She provided a simple, gentle kindness to Naomi.
Saint Nicholas acknowledged his own sin and understood the need of Jesus and His grace. St Nicolas even attended the Council of Nicaea and it is told that it was Saint Nicholas who stood up when another of the group did not believe that Jesus was equal to God. Ultimately the council sided with St Nicolas as it is reflected in the Nicene Creed, which was written during this time.
While the idea of Santa Clause is a bit off from the true Saint Nicolas, Saint Nicolas’s character should not be forgotten. Christmas is about celebrating Jesus and Saint Nicolas did just that through his character and his actions. As we come to the end of Christmas and move into the new year, let’s all try to be a little kinder, more selfless, and more rooted in our faith.