Pastor Devin Strong

Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church

“He’s gonna find out who’s naughty and nice,” the Christmas song goes. I get why so many parents love Santa Claus. Like the Elf on a Shelf, he can keep our kids on their best behavior, at least for a few weeks! But I love the story of Saint Nicholas. He was a real person, a Christian, and a pastor. It is from the life of Nicholas that we get the modern-day legend of Santa Claus.

Nicholas was born in the seacoast town of Myra Italy in 270 CE. He was the son of wealthy parents and became a pastor at the ripe old age of 50. Nicholas was involved in choosing which books went into the “canon” of the Bible as well as being on the team of people who wrote what we know as the Nicene Creed. But Saint Nicholas is most remembered for his love of children and his joy in giving gifts, sometimes anonymously. Stories are told about how Nicholas scrambled on the roofs of members of his struggling parishioners at night and dropped pouches of coins down the chimney. They say that sometimes the coins landed in the stockings hung by the fireplace to dry. Nicholas died on December 6, 342, and by then, he was already well known in the area. Early Christians began holding a feast and a worship service in his honor annually on the day that he entered eternal life. To this day, December 6th is known as Saint Nicholas Day.

Both the name, “Santa Claus” and the magical story that we Americans tell our children about him have their roots in the life of Saint Nicholas. However, our legend of Santa Claus also borrows heavily from the poem, T’was the Night Before Christmas written by Christian scholar Clement Moore for his children in 1822, and we get our image of Santa Claus largely from Coca-Cola’s drawing of him in Christmas advertisements in The Saturday Evening Post that became popular in the 1930s. Other countries have different legends that also borrow, to one degree or another, from the great true story of Nicholas of Myra.

Rather than a magical fat man with elves and flying reindeer, I find Nicholas’ story much more powerful and compelling. His is a story of generosity and grace that grows out of his own experience of being loved by Jesus. We should tell our kids that this is where our own calling for generosity comes from. Nicholas gives us an example of why we give gifts to our children on Jesus’ birthday and why we collect gifts for needy children and families this time of year. Nicholas’ story that inspires our own giving also helps our children understand why some children receive more gifts than others. We give as we are able because Jesus first gave to us.

When my children were small, we told them the true story of Saint Nicholas instead of Santa Claus, and if I had my way, this would be the story that we would be telling in church at Christmas time. On the other hand, as a teenager, my son said, “I ruined his Christmas” by not encouraging him to believe in Santa Claus!”

So there you have it.

I still say the truth makes a better story!