In 1958, a Danish clergyman, the Reverend Paul Nedergaard, declared Santa Claus to be a pagan elf. This was in response to the use of an image of Santa Claus in fundraising materials by Dutch welfare organisations.
Others have condemned Santa Claus as a secular symbol that takes the focus off the season of Jesus Christ and places it on the receiving of gifts.
Sinter Klaas in Dutch, is not simply a fictional myth, but a reference to Bishop Nicholas of Myra. The legend of Saint Nicholas was brought to the New World by the arrival of Europeans. The Vikings brought the story of Saint Nicholas to Greenland, Christopher Columbus to Haiti, and the Spanish to a town in Florida called Saint Nicholas Ferry, now Jacksonville.
The story of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, is filled with tales of his generosity and kindness, the epitome of Paul’s teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13.
Three things will last forever: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Saint Nicholas’ faith in Jesus Christ as Savior was shown early in life when his parents died leaving him wealthy but an orphan. Nicholas responded by using his entire inheritance to help the poor, the sick, and the suffering. Nicholas was responding to teachings found in the Bible, this time the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.
And he said to him: “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him: One thing you lack: go, sell everything you have, and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me Mark 10:20-21 NLT
Nicholas would later suffer for his faith when he was exiled and imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Roman persecution of Christians at that time was so great that their prisons were filled with clerics. Roman prisons had so many bishops, deacons, and priests that they had no room for the real criminals, thieves, bandits, and murderers.
The stuff of legend is the many acts of generosity of Saint Nicholas, he is said to have provided dowries to three poor young women, rescued a child from slavery, saved many people from starvation, rescued the innocent, and even acted miracles in the process. That is why he is known as protector and giver of gifts.
Protector and giver of gifts like Christ himself. Jesus calls the greatest commandments to Love God and Love our neighbor.
Jesus replied, “The greatest commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 NLT
The word translated as “Love” in the above verses of Mark is the Greek word Agape, which means unconditional, non-discriminatory. A love that has no strings attached and is even selfless.
This Christmas when you see Santa Claus think of the example of Saint Nicholas. His examples of faith, love and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ are a reminder to all of us this Christmas season.
We can use the examples of how Saint Nicholas kept his focus on Jesus through all things and decided to do the same.