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Weekly Vitamins for the Soul -- December 5, 2004
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Yali Shi
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Dec 04, 2004 19:08 PST
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Weekly Vitamins for the Soul -- December 5, 2004
What Is Christmas?
Author unknown
In the celebration of Christmas, a white-haired, white-bearded man in a
red and white fur suit--Santa Claus by name--figures prominently. Is he
what Christmas means?
Late one Christmas Eve I sank back into my easy chair, tired but
content. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and
cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I admired the tree with
its decorations, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. It
wasn't long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't
alone. You can imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes and saw Santa
Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in
fur from head to foot, just as the poem "'Twas the Night Before
Christmas" describes him. But he was not the "jolly old elf" of
Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and
disappointed. And there were tears in his eyes.
"Santa, what's wrong?" I asked. "Why are you crying?"
"It's the children," Santa replied sadly.
"But the children love you," I said.
"Oh, I know they love me and the gifts I bring them," Santa said. "But
children today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of
Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults have
forgotten to teach the children. Many of the adults have not even been
taught themselves."
"Teach the children what?" I asked.
Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine
with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the
true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that there's much more to
Christmas than the part we can see, hear, and touch. Teach them the
symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas we observe.
Teach them what they truly represent."
Santa reached into his bag, pulled out a tiny Christmas tree, and set it
on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second
color of Christmas. The stately evergreen with its unchanging color
represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its top points heavenward
as a reminder that man's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."
Santa reached into his bag again, pulled out a shiny star, and placed it
at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of
promise. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign
of the fulfillment of that promise, when Jesus Christ was born. Teach
the children that God always fulfills His promises and that wise men
still seek Him."
"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." He pulled forth a
red ornament for the tiny tree. "Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the
color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the
symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave His
life and shed His blood for them so that they could have eternal life.
When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most
wonderful gift of life."
Santa found a bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost
sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to
ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to
follow the true Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep."
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its
tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how
man can show his thanks for the gift God gave of His Son that Christmas
Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's footsteps, to go
about doing good. Teach them to let their light shine before men, that
all may see it and glorify God.
"This is what is symbolized when the lights twinkle on the tree like
hundreds of bright, shining candles. Each of them represents one of
God's precious children."
Again, Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny
red-and-white-striped candy cane. As he hung it on the tree, he spoke
softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard, white candy. The white is to
symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. The candy is in
the shape of the letter 'J' to represent the name of Jesus, who came to
earth as our Savior. It also represents the crook of the Good Shepherd,
which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out
the fallen who, like sheep, have gone astray.
"The original candy cane had three small red stripes that represented
the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed, and
also a large red stripe that represents the blood Jesus shed on the
cross so that we can have eternal life. Teach these things to the
children."
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery
and tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of
perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about
Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It
contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of
the evergreen. The bow tells the story of goodwill towards all, and its
color reminds us again of Christ's sacrifice. Even its shape is
symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love.
It is a circle without beginning and without end. These are the things
you must teach the children."
"But where does that leave you, Santa?" I asked.
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why,
bless you, my dear," he laughed. "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent
the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the
children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll
become more important than I should."
I must have fallen asleep again, and when I awoke I thought, I'm
beginning to understand at last. Was it all a dream? I don't know. But I
remembered
Santa's parting words: "If you don't teach the children these things,
then who will?"
* * *
Christmas is…
A mother's love for her baby boy
A sacrifice to bring others joy
A father's care for one not his own
A message sent from a royal throne
A seeming wrong that was turned to right
An angel's song in the dark of night
A prophet's vision at last fulfilled
A miracle because God had willed
A gift of love from a caring heart
A bringing together what was apart
A reaching out to comprehend
How another felt by a sincere friend
A seeking soul that journeyed far
To find a dream, to follow a star
A bridegroom claiming a bride as his
All these things are what Christmas is.
--Ian Bach
* * *
Best Wishes,
Shi Yali
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