It happened again today. A random stranger asked my kids if they were excited about Santa. The shock that overtakes their faces when my kids tell them they don’t believe in Santa, they celebrate Jesus.
Before you roll your eyes and keep scrolling… please hear me out.
Santa is the face of Christmas. We don’t run away at the sight of Santa. Though my kids don’t believe in Santa, they do know all about him. They know the stories. They’ve read the books and watched the movies. They know the traditions people partake in. They just have never believed in him to be a real person who lives at the North Pole and brings them presents if they are on the nice list.
Thought #1- Is that what non-Christians think of Jesus? They know the stories. They know our traditions. They just don’t believe Him to be real giving them the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sin?
But more than that. The entire American culture is in on the lie of Santa Claus. Yes, I’m calling it a lie, but please hear me out. Random strangers ask my kids if they are excited about Santa.
Thought #2- What if… the Christian community engaged strangers in TRUTH and had conversations about Jesus the way adults are willing to engage children in conversations about Santa?
Parents go to great lengths to try to convince their kids of Santa’s existence. Beyond wrapping gifts and placing them under the tree… or even the cookies and milk… I’ve heard of parents leaving behind tugs of red cloths (like Santa’s suit), leaving footprints with boots, and let’s talk about Elf on the Shelf for a second. I get that it is fun, but really, it’s one big cultural lie.
Thought #3-What if… what if parents put that much effort into convincing their children Jesus was real? What if the conversations were, “Are you excited to share the love of Jesus today?” “Did you see anyone acting like Jesus today?”
What if Christians lived out Christianity as their worldview? What if we lived like our faith is the way to live? What if we were excited to share the love of Christ with all the people we meet? What if…