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'St. Nick,' servant of God Jolly Old St. Nicholas has "cheeks like roses" and a "nose like a cherry" and his smiling face meets us everywhere we turn. Whatever arguments are mustered against a commercialized Christmas centered in a secular Santa, I still like the plump, cheerful fellow whose little round belly shook, like a "bowl full of jelly," when he laughed. One Christmas when the children were smaller, I dressed up like a Santa Claus and knocked on the front door. The children came to the door and were delighted. John Phillip, who was three, looked down at my shoes and said, "Santa Claus, you have shoes just like my daddy!" John's comment brought genuine joy to my heart. It has been a fun memory for our family to share. But what should we as Christians tell our children about St. Nick? We decided early on to tell them the truth. It is an inspiring story. St. Nicholas is a real historical person whose life pointed beautifully to the Lord Jesus Christ whom he served. Born in Asia Minor more than 16 centuries ago, Nicholas gave his life to fulltime ministry, serving as an overseer of a church in the town of Myra, which is now called Demre, Turkey. There this saint engaged in signs and wonders evangelism seeing many pagans brought to faith in Jesus. The people admired and honored Nicholas for his personal holiness, kindness and generosity. His zeal for Christ brought persecution by the pagan authorities and he was tortured and imprisoned by the Roman Emperor, Diocletian. St. Nicholas survived the ordeal and lived many years to remain busy with the Lord's work. Some ancient biographies of Nicholas recount vividly how he shared his wealth with the poor and took special care of children. One thing is certain: the love of Jesus was so brightly visible in the life of St. Nicholas, the church has never been able to forget him. The Dutch called him "Santa Claus." Saint Nicholas came to this country via the traditions of Dutch settlers in New York. Santa Claus always wears the red robes of theology. The color is the symbol for the atonement of Jesus. In the 19th century Clement Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" gave us the modern picture of St. Nick fitted with reindeer. Over the years, Christians have found ways to honor him, including dressing up like him and giving gifts to children. St. Nicholas was a great servant of God. Jesus always shines through a heart devoted to him. Thank God for Santa Claus. Thank God for YOU!
Luke 1:46-47 "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." (KJV)
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