St. Nicholas
Who is Santa Claus? On the southern coast of modern-day Turkey, St. Nicholas was imprisoned for his generosity under the oppressive Roman Empire. Throughout the first two centuries, Christians largely existed underground as leaders were exiled, imprisoned, and even killed for their faith.
St. Nicholas came from a wealthy family, who left him with a large inheritance. Rather than waste, invest, or save his newfound money, he gave it to poor children. Giving Christ a good name, the authorities locked St. Nicholas away for years. Overtime, we have morphed his character into the lovable Santa Claus mascot we know today.
The true spirit of Christmas is about generosity. We glorify Christ through our passion to serve the poor. What if Christians took seriously Jesus’ call to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor” (Matthew 19:21)? St. Nicholas gave his money to the poor when the cost was imprisonment. Honestly, it wasn’t a bad strategy to lockup St. Nicholas for being too generous if their aim was to suppress Christianity. This Christmas, in the spirit of St. Nicholas, I encourage you to give generously. Give not just for your sake, not just for the recipient’s sake, but for Christ’s sake.
It is our overindulgence on frivolous trinkets that robs Christmas of its true intention. The challenge falls on Christians to distinguish the important difference between loving people and spending money on people. What’s the difference? Love involves meeting the needs of people, where spending money involves filling their closet with another unused item that won’t be missed. Whatever you do, do not fall prey to the mentality that there is no one in need in our community. Do not slip into the trap of believing that poor people do not deserve to be cared for. Does giving to others lend itself to the feeling of entitlement? Maybe, but Jesus muttered not a single word about that concern. Christ serves the poor without questions or stipulations. All forces, entities, and sentiments that prevent us from giving and loving others are working against Christianity.
This Christmas, I invite you to give as though your faith depended on it. Give as though you’re risking your life for the sake of giving Christ a good name. Give despite the forces that prevent you from doing so. Give when it’s risky and inconvenient. Of course, giving is not required of you and God will always love you regardless of giving. God will fill-in where we fall short. God lifts the lowly and leaves no one abandoned. Just as God worked through St. Nicholas, God works through you and me to bring the love that Christmas is all about.
With loaded sleigh,
Pr. Lucas McSurley
Photo By Earl Wilcox