Maybe some of you saw a flash travelling across the sky on Tuesday night Wednesday morning, and you are wondering what it might have been. Tuesday night was Christmas Eve when Santa and his reindeer were travelling across the world to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls. He travels west and that gives him 31 hours of Christmas to work with thanks to time zones and the rotation of the earth. Starting from the north pole where he lives he goes until the international date line in the Pacific Ocean. Then he travels to the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. After that he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across Africa then into Western Europe, Canada, the USA, Mexico and Central and South America. Norad the North American Aerospace Defense command tracks Santa as he moves across the sky. He calls in at the houses of all good children who believe in him. Santa arrives usually when they are fast asleep, if the children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to the other houses. However, he returns later but only when the children are fast asleep. In the days and weeks before Christmas the children have already posted or phoned Santa with their Christmas wish lists. But only those who are on Santa’s good list will receive their gifts, the other naughty boys and girls will receive a lump of coal! I am sure you realise that this is just a fun tradition a way to remind children that they should be good. If you are good then you get rewarded but if you are bad you always receive a less than desirable result.
The tradition of Santa Claus is closely associated with St Nicholas from Turkey, Sinterklaas from Holland and La Befana from Italy. These three gentlemen were known in their lifetime to have given secret gifts to the poor. Their history speaks of lives of piety and a devotion to God. This love of God led them to care for the less fortunate and to be obedient to the Word of God. Sadly the tradition of Santa has overshadowed the true meaning of Christmas. It is to celebrate the remembrance of the birth of Christ, the gift of God to men. This priceless gift is for all men who believe in him. Believing means setting aside the sins and iniquities that we do, repenting of them and asking God to forgive us for them. This is the gift of God to mankind that every man, woman and child across the world can receive this gift and know peace with God. It is a free gift to all who will receive it. The prophet Isaiah chapter 55 verse 7 says ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ Christmas is a time to give and receive gifts but the greatest and best gift you can receive is Jesus Christ.
P. Pilgrim pilgrimway101@yahoo.com
