Santa God?

Okay, this is going to sound really “grinchy,” but I think Santa-worship has gotten out of hand.

I figure it started with the song, “Santa Claus is coming to Town.”
There’s a line in there:
He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake.
He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.

Does that seem a little creepy to anyone but me?

I realized it when my daughter forgot to put something on her Christmas list. She decided to pray to Santa for the item. Disagree with me if you like; call me a Scrooge, but I think that’s just wrong. I explained to her, gently, that you don’t pray to Santa. I doubt if it really had any effect. Santa is everywhere.

The original “Saint Nicholas,” if the stories are true, was a priest who helped the poor and put coins in the shoes of poor children in his town. Today’s Santa is a larger-than life, all-seeing, all-knowing gift-machine, who flies around the entire earth in one night and can get into any house through the chimney!

Christians have made a feeble attempt to “put Christ in Christmas,” even going so far as the picture of Santa bowing before Jesus at the manger. That’s nice, I guess, but I doubt if it has slowed the rampant consumerism that we see as our right. The worst part, in my opinion, is that I think we adults have gotten God mixed up with Santa. Adults!
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9
What is this verse about? Big, flashy cars? Diamond-studded cross necklaces? The latest electronics? (Have you prayed for things you didn't actually need? Once you maxed-out your credit to get them, did you thank God that he gave them to you?)

I don’t think this verse is about stuff. We have enough stuff! The passage (Luke 11) if you take it literally, talks about bread, fish and eggs. But to go backwards in our society is nearly impossible. Try telling your kids they’re going to get bread, fish and eggs for Christmas this year, and see what happens!

But I have an idea. Let’s go back to the spirit of the real Saint Nick. If you have enough to eat this year, consider giving fewer gifts and donating the difference to charity. One way to do this is through http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Peace, Love, and Joy