by Angela Arndt, @aearndt
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given …” Isaiah 9:6a KJV
Yeah for Christmastime! Didn’t you love those small-town parades, dotted with marching bands drumming their jazz rendition of Jingle Bells, lines of floats, handmade with love for local beauty queens and nativity scenes, punctuated at the end by a ho-ho-ho-ing Santa and the Mrs? We did! We felt so much love that afternoon, riding down the street lined in waving children and beaming parents.
Many say Santa takes the focus away from Christ’s birth, but St. Nicholas was a real 4th-century Christian bishop. Born in an area that is now part of Turkey, one Roman emperor persecuted him for his faith, while another released him. Legends say he used all of his vast inheritance to rescue the poor from debtors’ prison and those sold into slavery. His church was near a port, so when sailors carried stories of St. Nicholas’ sacrificial giving, they merged through the centuries with other legends like Père Noël, Sinterklaas, and yes, even Santa Claus.
Today, many commercials and ads use images of Santa and smiling children to pressure parents to show their children how much they’re loved by spending more than they can afford. Here’s two rebuttals to that: 1) children will know they’re loved when someone spends time, not necessarily money, on them, and 2) no one can never give the perfect Christmas gift because Christ has already given it. His gift of perfect love can never be matched by toys or games or jewelry or cars. Ever. If a parent is able to and wants to spend money, perhaps they could choose some way to be with their child and show them that CHRISTmas celebrates Christ.
As they say in the ads, “wait, there’s more.” God gives spiritual gifts¹ to help his own children serve, minister, evangelize, encourage, and enable others to do the same. Christian writers can use these gifts to learn the craft of writing. A book with unforgettable characters in a believable story world with intricate plotlines is the best way to keep a reader’s interest. Writing an intriguing story is one thing but writing an intriguing story that reveals truth is a calling.
We and St. Nicholas have been given the perfect gift of Christ’s love. He was called to give away his wealth and spend time ministering to the poor. It’s almost 2020. What’s our calling and how will we spend our time?
Dear Jesus, help us to remember the true meaning of your birth next week. May we spend more time on our Gift and less on our presents. In your name we pray. Amen.
¹See 1 Corinthians 12 for a list of spiritual gifts.
Angela Arndt writes women’s fiction with a thread of romance, telling stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations set in small Southern towns. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage her readers to overcome their own “back roads” and find joy in the Lord again. Represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency, Angela has a Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina and continues learning the craft of writing fiction through the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Novel Academy. Connect with her at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram