“Let the little children come to me” Mark 10.14

 I am writing this on Father Christmas’s Day. For most that date is probably 25^th December, or the night before at least, but on 6^th December the church remembers Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in southern Turkey, in about 326 AD, and the foundation of the tradition of Santa Claus.

Like most saints of the early Church we actually know very little about Nicholas. There are plenty of stories about miraculous events attributed to this man, but they date from a book written about him nearly 500 years later. By that time he must have been something of a legend already, with churches dedicated to him and many tributes made. Of the more spectacular tales is the idea that he was born saying “God be glorified”, and, later, that he brought to life three murdered children hidden in a brinetub. So colourful were these stories that Nicholas became one of the most popular saints of the medieval period, and he remains the patron of several countries, provinces, dioceses, and cities, the saint of sailors, children and merchants.

Nicholas was reputed to have had great care and concern for children, particularly those who were disadvantaged, and made it a practice to give them presents when he could. It became a tradition to give presents to children on his feast day, a practice appropriated by the Christmas celebrations, but in some countries continues to this day – the 6^th December is a special day for bearing gifts to children, more so even than Christmas.

We may find the folklore surrounding individuals like Nicholas rather difficult to comprehend these days, but they often speak to us of important and profound spiritual truths. People may have wanted to “big up” the generosity of a plain and simple provincial bishop because they saw in his behaviour something significant. And very often we enjoy a good story because it makes life colourful as well as telling us things – a fact wonderfully portrayed by the composer Benjamin Britten who wrote a very funny and moving cantata called St. Nicholas.

Nicholas reminds us about generosity. We who know that we have been given so much by almighty God in terms of creation and the giving of his only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, cannot but be mindful of the needs of others. Christianity is about sharing – God sharing his life with us and us, therefore,  sharing what God has given us.  Most importantly this sharing is of what we know of a loving God with others who do not know him: in our words, in our actions and in our behaviour. The giving of presents, at Christmas or at any other time, can be a sign of this. (See the first letter of Paul to Timothy chapter 6 verses 6 to 11).

Nicholas also reminds us that everyone is loved and cherished by God. He seems to have been someone who appreciated the worth of all people, especially lowliest – the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and children. At a time when children were not regarded as particularly important in their own right as individuals, he talked to them, cared for them and gave them …. presents. We might be reminded of the occasion when people were bringing children to Jesus in order that he would touch them, and his disciples got very angry and tried to shoo them away, no doubt thinking that the great man should not be bothered with such insignificant human beings. Jesus was “indignant” and said “Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these children that the kingdom of God belongs.” (Mark 10.13-16). No one is insignificant to God, no one is unimportant. If the incarnation means anything at all it is that God really does love us and this world, for all its imperfections and weaknesses.

It is fun to read about the extraordinary legends of the saints like Nicholas, and there is no harm in enjoying the idea of Father Christmas. They, like so many other things in this world, point us to some very important truths.

Tony Bushell.