It has been many years ago now that a little girl named Virginia wrote the editor of her local newspaper to ask if there really was a Santa Claus. His answer became famous and still remains after all this time. He talked of kindness in giving. He concluded by saying, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!” The issue may have been resolved for Virginia but the question for others may still hang around. There are those who do not celebrate Christmas at all. There are those whose personal religion does not include the birth of Christ. And there are those who observe Christmas but are hesitant to talk about Santa Claus. And everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion and to raise their children by their own preferences. But please be patient with me to speak as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, a Christian, and a minister.
Our adult world is all too serious and threatening. There are bills to pay, bosses to please, and bombs from enemies to avoid. We are constantly hurrying yet almost never get anywhere. We try to solve problems only to discover five more problems arise in their place. What evidence is there to confirm that our adult world is so right and proper? How many of us are truly happy? Let us allow our children to have their immature fantasies while they have the youth to generate them. All too soon they will learn the cruel hard facts of life! I contend that a good healthy fantasy life is the field from which grows the creativity of the adult scientist, the artist, and the orator. Childhood fantasy is the basis for adult imagination. My point is not to promote Santa Claus, but to prevent us from making our babies into little adults too soon.
On their own and, especially with God’s influence, these precious gifts will make the transition into reality in due time. They will realize that Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world. They will learn that we give gifts as a reminder that God gave the greatest gift of all in his son. They will learn Christmas is more about others and not self. Yes, I talked about Santa Claus to my children and still do to my great-grandchildren today. And when that “dreaded day” came that my children asked if there really was a Santa Claus, I said, “yes.” He was a man who lived many years ago across the Atlantic Ocean and gave gifts to others as Jesus would have all of us do. The spirit of that wonderful self-sacrificing man still lives on today.
Christian Writer 