St. Nicholas is a real person, Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey), born in the late 200s AD, attended the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, and died December 6, 343 AD. He is the patron saint of children of course, but also sailors and ships, prisoners, pawnbrokers and young women seeking marriage! The facts of his history, as well as the legends and the morphing into Santa Claus are well documented on the St. Nicolas Center website found in “Links”. Miracle-worker and generous gift-giver that he was, he was still a mortal, fallen human being, working hard to please his Lord, and a fit model for revealing the possibilities of Christian life.
David Lewis began his Santa career after walking his daughter to her wedding in May of 2011. He had grown out his beard as an experiment and asked her to tell him how she wanted it trimmed for her wedding ceremony. She told him not to cut it at all! Over the following year it lengthened and whitened and he began to get second glances from children he met on his usual errands. Finally one brave little soul approached him with: “I am STILL being good – do you remember me?” After stumbling through an answer, he looked at his wife and said: “It is time.”
After much prayer, David applied with Noerr Programs and began in November of 2012 as the Irving Mall Santa. Each year has been a learning experience and improvement over the previous but there is no doubt that he was “called by the children” as he has an excellent rapport with them. David has had 20 years’ experience mentoring children and young people in creative problem-solving and teamwork with Destination ImagiNation (previously Odyssey of the Mind). Now the question is: “Is he called by the Lord to be Santa?” In other words, can this be made into a ministry, blessing the children and honoring to Christ? God does not seem to allow certainty, but He does build confidence as we seek to found this career on Him.
Some of our dear Christian friends are rightly concerned with the secularization of Christmas, the emphasis on buying and getting, and fear that even an acknowledgment of Santa Claus will cause him to supplant Jesus in the hearts of children. Is there a way to portray the saint, along with the shepherds, the magi, and the throngs of all Christians, humbly worshiping at the feet of the King of Kings, Who was born in a manger? Can he model a warm, loving, understanding, compassionate, generous life in a harsh and sorrowful world? Can he hint at the wonderful mystery, joy and glory to come? This is the heart of David’s desire in his portrayal of Santa Claus: a humanly impossible ideal, sought by prayer, informed by the Holy Spirit.
So what does the Santa experience give the child? Some working theories:
1) Not every stranger is evil. We need to learn how to discern the intentions of others. We need to learn to trust wisely and begin by trusting our parents. A 2- or 3-year-old certainly has no discernment for trustworthiness outside their caregivers. Age 4 and up are beginners. We try to help each timorous child find a spark of bravery that can grow with each new experience into a lifelong courage to face and conquer their respective worlds. (Also called self-sufficiency.)
2) The true, good and beautiful still exist in the universe, if only in the heart of our imaginations. But even if it is only found there, that idea must have come from somewhere; something outside of us. We all yearn for Eden or Heaven. The Santa set can bring that yearning into consciousness. If the child realizes this, he or she can begin to look for it and eventually to try to create/model it.
3) The Christmas Spirit is an attitude supported by actions. The central ACT of the Christmas Spirit is generous giving. Here is where our intentions go awry, especially as we age and our motives get mixed. Most (really!) of our young visitors are more concerned with what others need than with what they want. At young ages, if their basic needs are met, they have often learned that happiness is not in things. Santa represents generous, anonymous, unexpected giving of himself: his pure love and attention, with no thought of a return. He hopes to teach and provide opportunities for the youngsters to become his joyous, generous helpers.
There is true Christmas magic and it resides in the child, not in Santa. Every single one of them is a visible miracle. Watch for it as they work through their reactions to encountering Santa!
David Lewis began his Santa career after walking his daughter to her wedding in May of 2011. He had grown out his beard as an experiment and asked her to tell him how she wanted it trimmed for her wedding ceremony. She told him not to cut it at all! Over the following year it lengthened and whitened and he began to get second glances from children he met on his usual errands. Finally one brave little soul approached him with: “I am STILL being good – do you remember me?” After stumbling through an answer, he looked at his wife and said: “It is time.”
After much prayer, David applied with Noerr Programs and began in November of 2012 as the Irving Mall Santa. Each year has been a learning experience and improvement over the previous but there is no doubt that he was “called by the children” as he has an excellent rapport with them. David has had 20 years’ experience mentoring children and young people in creative problem-solving and teamwork with Destination ImagiNation (previously Odyssey of the Mind). Now the question is: “Is he called by the Lord to be Santa?” In other words, can this be made into a ministry, blessing the children and honoring to Christ? God does not seem to allow certainty, but He does build confidence as we seek to found this career on Him.
Some of our dear Christian friends are rightly concerned with the secularization of Christmas, the emphasis on buying and getting, and fear that even an acknowledgment of Santa Claus will cause him to supplant Jesus in the hearts of children. Is there a way to portray the saint, along with the shepherds, the magi, and the throngs of all Christians, humbly worshiping at the feet of the King of Kings, Who was born in a manger? Can he model a warm, loving, understanding, compassionate, generous life in a harsh and sorrowful world? Can he hint at the wonderful mystery, joy and glory to come? This is the heart of David’s desire in his portrayal of Santa Claus: a humanly impossible ideal, sought by prayer, informed by the Holy Spirit.
So what does the Santa experience give the child? Some working theories:
1) Not every stranger is evil. We need to learn how to discern the intentions of others. We need to learn to trust wisely and begin by trusting our parents. A 2- or 3-year-old certainly has no discernment for trustworthiness outside their caregivers. Age 4 and up are beginners. We try to help each timorous child find a spark of bravery that can grow with each new experience into a lifelong courage to face and conquer their respective worlds. (Also called self-sufficiency.)
2) The true, good and beautiful still exist in the universe, if only in the heart of our imaginations. But even if it is only found there, that idea must have come from somewhere; something outside of us. We all yearn for Eden or Heaven. The Santa set can bring that yearning into consciousness. If the child realizes this, he or she can begin to look for it and eventually to try to create/model it.
3) The Christmas Spirit is an attitude supported by actions. The central ACT of the Christmas Spirit is generous giving. Here is where our intentions go awry, especially as we age and our motives get mixed. Most (really!) of our young visitors are more concerned with what others need than with what they want. At young ages, if their basic needs are met, they have often learned that happiness is not in things. Santa represents generous, anonymous, unexpected giving of himself: his pure love and attention, with no thought of a return. He hopes to teach and provide opportunities for the youngsters to become his joyous, generous helpers.
There is true Christmas magic and it resides in the child, not in Santa. Every single one of them is a visible miracle. Watch for it as they work through their reactions to encountering Santa!