Do you believe?

There is a lot of talk this time of year about believing in Santa Claus.  We’re way past ‘Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.’  Parents are posting on FaceBook about how to deal with Santa.  What to tell their kids.  How long to prolong the pretend.  When to unveil the truth.   This is a major topic on social media and in actual social interactions.  Though I am well past having deal with the Santa topic in my family setting, I have heard from young parents about what an obsession the Santa issue is.  What should you tell your kids about Santa and how to draw the Santa fantasy to a close.  All this talk about how to get your kids to believe in Santa and then how to gently, without significant emotional scarring, get them to give up the belief.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus.  So what about believing in Jesus?  What about making sure kids know who he is and what he does?  What about the awe and wonder that we see in Jesus?  What about his guiding light?  Where’s the obsession with teaching kids about that? 

Prayer: In this season may we reflect on all that we are being given through Jesus.  May we look for his light in ourselves, in others, and in the doings of the world around us.  May the universal love we see in Jesus make us merry and bright.  Amen.