Andrew R Rogers

I used to get caught up in the magical “Spirit of Christmas,” like everyone else.  How could I not?  Jesus’ birthday, and a multi – billion dollar season of spending upon which many retail stores depend.  Ignorance was bliss.

From Wikipedia:

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. It is celebrated on December 25, but this date is not known to be Jesus’ actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived, a historical Roman festival, or the date of the northern hemisphere’s winter solstice.

When I realized December 25th is not Jesus’ birthday, I wondered what possible redeeming value it could have.  Just a little research, however, allows us to cut past the hype and find the true “Spirit of Christmas,” which has much more to do with our faith than I thought.

The following is an excerpt from the “Saint Nicholas Center: Discovering the truth about Saint Nicholas.”

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals-murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.

Persecution, suffering, giving away an inheritance to the poor!  This is much more interesting than the typical Christmas stories I hear. What could cause someone to live this way?  What could cause someone to care that much about other people?

Somehow Saint Nicholas learned to derive his joy, strength, even pleasure from serving Jesus.  It wasn’t just his duty, it was his entire life.  A life spent gazing at Jesus and His Words.

Maybe Christmas is more about what Jesus did as a man, than as a baby…?