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Suggested: Read Hebrews 11 first (the list of heroes in the faith). Then…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
-Hebrews 12:1-3
Most of my extended family is Catholic, 3 of my 4 grandparents, in fact. I don’t know the exact statistics, but many Presbyterians are formerly from other denominations, and in my own experience, largely Baptist and Catholic. I think there’s a lot we can learn from one another’s traditions. Like our scripture suggests, honoring heroes of the faith, whether the prophets, judges, the original 12 disciples, the men and women of the first house churches, or the “saints” of the intervening hundreds of years, we can find examples that are NOT perfect, but much like us have struggled and we can find relatable.
This can be especially important to remember at this time of year. At our most secular and pessimistic, this can be a season of greed and excess and consumerism, a season of naughty and nice and what we deserve. At our best, however, it’s a reminder of the undeserved gift of grace and light in the world and our shared humanity, a call to generosity, goodness, and compassion. The person of St. Nicholas is the embodiment of those traditions. We do better as believers to honor that person and tradition more nearly than we do when we get caught up in either the magic or myth-busting of Santa and elves and naughty and nice. When we worry about the ways we “do Santa” or elves on shelves or have “the talk” with questioning kids, rather than teaching our children about heroes of the faith like St. Nick, we miss an opportunity.
There are a lot of good movies, websites, and books about the real St. Nicholas worth reading this Christmas and Advent. It’s equally important to teach our kids about real people and the good they’ve done as it is to teach them the magic and wonder of believing in what they can’t see or prove. We have to do a good job of both to instill a faith of resilience, hope, and usefulness. I encourage you to do that this year. Find ways to take awe in and to take inspiration from our history and stories.
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