Let’s face it, you either love Santa or you tolerate him. You try hard to make him real. Or not. Well here’s an interesting tangent, maybe it’s because he’s so much like our outdated, misconstrued version of God.
Once upon a time, we couldn’t understand God and certainly couldn’t explain it to our children, so we made up Santa for the job. They both come to us at Christmas after all.
These two old men with white beards and flowing robes have amazingly similar qualities. God is everywhere and so is Santa - well on Christmas Eve anyway. He travels the whole earth and slips down every chimney. That’s close enough to being everywhere at once for me and can at least be imagined.
They both live in places that are inaccessible, except by magical means. Of course Heaven and the North Pole exist. Yet, sometimes I think it would be easier to trek to Santa’s workshop than figure out the rules to get to heaven.
Both these jolly old fellows live with mythical creatures; God with the Angels and Santa with the elves and flying reindeer. We know there were animals at the nativity. Perhaps the Christmas Angel actually rode in on Rudolph?
God’s omniscience is legendary and so is Santa’s. God knows all and Santa “knows when you are sleeping and knows when you’re awake.” Santa also “knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!” He is all-powerful like God and capable of producing exactly what the deserving child wants.
Santa’s rules, however, are as ambiguous as God’s. “Be good” or Santa won’t come. “Don’t sin” and you’ll go to heaven. As a child, missing out on a new toy or heaven seemed equally scary. Getting what I wanted was out of my control. I got what mom and dad decided I’d get on Christmas morning. Sometimes it’s what I wanted. Would I get out of life what God decided I deserved?
When we grow up, we realize we are Santa. When we become a spiritual adult, we embrace our own divinity. We recognize source (all that is) as the place we originated and are still connected to. We remember our ability to create heaven on earth.
So this year, my Christmas wish for you is to grow up and go home.
