Truth Vs. Fiction
Oh my, what a wonderful day! I will post fun pictures and details about our Christmas festivities later, but I want to take a few minutes to write what's on my heart. I know if I don't do this now, it will be difficult to find the quiet time later. On the way home from Jane's tonight I had a good while to mull over some things I had been periodically thinking about during the Christmas season, specifically regarding a conversation we had with Charlie earlier in December and my reaction to our culture's interpretation of Christmas.
Earlier this month on our tree decorating day, Charlie (out of nowhere) excitedly said, "Santa gon' bring presents to my house!!" Now, we had never talked with him about Santa. He's seen pictures of Santa and knows who he is, but he didn't really know what he was supposed to do (i.e., bring gifts to everyone on Christmas Eve). Or so I thought! While we had decided we wouldn't perpetuate the story of Santa for our boys, we hadn't really talked about how we would handle it. So, when Charlie randomly told us this I tactlessly blurted out, "No, he doesn't come to your house. Mommy and Daddy give you gifts." Charlie was concerned and confused at this new piece of information! We talked to him more about how we can play pretend that Santa Claus comes, and Jimmy did a good job smoothing over my bluntness both that morning and the next when Charlie mentioned it again. We visited Santa Claus at the mall several times this December, when we went on weekday mornings to play at the train table and the playground. The boys were enamored with the decorations and wanted to see Santa, so of course I let them. They told Santa hello, gave him a high five, and were delighted to get the free book he had for them. I'm okay with their curiosity, and I don't think Santa is bad. I think he (well, definitely St. Nicholas) represents good things like generosity and kindness, respectable characteristics that I want my boys to possess. However. I don't care to encourage the "dogma" (for lack of a better term) our culture has built up concerning the fictitious Santa Claus character. (Side note: if you ask my children what Santa brought them, that's fine!!! I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you what they got Christmas morning. We won't be ruining anything for you or your children!)
You know, Jimmy and I want to communicate truth to our children as best we can as they grow up. I'm aware that it's en vogue to claim there's no sort of objective truth, but I don't believe that makes any sense. People asserting that are making a truth claim and immediately disprove themselves. But also, there is a definite reality in which we live, and truth is what corresponds to this reality. You can walk outside and make all sorts of claims about how the environment feels, but that doesn't change the temperature. One person may think it's relatively warm, another a bit chilly, but the thermometer reads one number. As a Christian, I believe what I believe because I believe it is Truth; that is, I believe that what God speaks through Scripture corresponds to Reality in the deepest and most meaningful way possible. Perhaps it's more accurate to say it the other way around: that this world corresponds to the reality set forth in Scripture (the Bible). I believe Scripture communicates real answers to the questions all people have about our world and their respective places in it. (Perhaps future posts will come addressing what I believe and why.) I hang my life on Christ, and I don't do that lightly! All that being said, I'll bring this back around to Santa.
I do find it ironic that I live in a culture where people may laugh about my belief in Christ- a faith that I do not hold blindly or carelessly but with great thought, conviction, and assurance- and yet with a straight face may advocate that I tell my children elaborate lies about Santa Claus (knowing it's false!) and do everything in my power to perpetuate this myth for years to come. I guess really it's not that ironic after all, though. Our culture is fond of saying, "Well, if you believe it, then it's true and good for you." This is what's done with Santa Claus. For instance, it's perceived as magical and precious when children believe in Santa. And boy are they encouraged to believe in him! (I'll save my Elf on the Shelf comments for another time...) Everything in our culture is set up for them to believe in Santa around Christmas, and all by the adults who know he's not real!!! And sadly, their belief in him does not make him real. As a follower of Christ, who I cannot see, and as a mom who's trying to teach her children about Him, I can't afford to spin elaborate tales about things that don't exist or aren't true. I want our home to be a place of dialogue about reality, where our kids can wrestle with hard parts of life and really think through what they're learning in this simultaneously wonderful and disappointing world. I want our home to be the first place they do this and the place where they know their questions are always respected and answered as honestly as possible. We need them to have enough trust in us to at least come to us for help. So, as dumb as it may sound, I'm starting with the Santa questions.
While some may assert that this is taking the magic or joy out of Christmas, I would respond that it's putting it in the right place. The joy in Christmas comes from meditating not on a fat man in a chimney, but on the Savior of the world in the womb of his mother. And I would also respond that it was quite magical to hear my boy say "Thank you for the scooter!" this morning! What's even more magical, though, is that there is a grand story, a meta-narrative, a fairy tale if you will, that is actually TRUE. A story of how Christ came into the world to repair the breach between God and man, of how He lived a perfect life and fulfilled all of God's requirements, how He died on behalf of people like us, and how He came to life again three days later with all the strength and power of God! A story of how Christ will physically return one day to set everything right and sit on the throne of David like Scripture prophesied. A story of how those who have believed in Him and followed Him will be with Him forever, and finally know Him fully! Now THIS is something to celebrate! Merry Christmas!
Earlier this month on our tree decorating day, Charlie (out of nowhere) excitedly said, "Santa gon' bring presents to my house!!" Now, we had never talked with him about Santa. He's seen pictures of Santa and knows who he is, but he didn't really know what he was supposed to do (i.e., bring gifts to everyone on Christmas Eve). Or so I thought! While we had decided we wouldn't perpetuate the story of Santa for our boys, we hadn't really talked about how we would handle it. So, when Charlie randomly told us this I tactlessly blurted out, "No, he doesn't come to your house. Mommy and Daddy give you gifts." Charlie was concerned and confused at this new piece of information! We talked to him more about how we can play pretend that Santa Claus comes, and Jimmy did a good job smoothing over my bluntness both that morning and the next when Charlie mentioned it again. We visited Santa Claus at the mall several times this December, when we went on weekday mornings to play at the train table and the playground. The boys were enamored with the decorations and wanted to see Santa, so of course I let them. They told Santa hello, gave him a high five, and were delighted to get the free book he had for them. I'm okay with their curiosity, and I don't think Santa is bad. I think he (well, definitely St. Nicholas) represents good things like generosity and kindness, respectable characteristics that I want my boys to possess. However. I don't care to encourage the "dogma" (for lack of a better term) our culture has built up concerning the fictitious Santa Claus character. (Side note: if you ask my children what Santa brought them, that's fine!!! I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you what they got Christmas morning. We won't be ruining anything for you or your children!)
You know, Jimmy and I want to communicate truth to our children as best we can as they grow up. I'm aware that it's en vogue to claim there's no sort of objective truth, but I don't believe that makes any sense. People asserting that are making a truth claim and immediately disprove themselves. But also, there is a definite reality in which we live, and truth is what corresponds to this reality. You can walk outside and make all sorts of claims about how the environment feels, but that doesn't change the temperature. One person may think it's relatively warm, another a bit chilly, but the thermometer reads one number. As a Christian, I believe what I believe because I believe it is Truth; that is, I believe that what God speaks through Scripture corresponds to Reality in the deepest and most meaningful way possible. Perhaps it's more accurate to say it the other way around: that this world corresponds to the reality set forth in Scripture (the Bible). I believe Scripture communicates real answers to the questions all people have about our world and their respective places in it. (Perhaps future posts will come addressing what I believe and why.) I hang my life on Christ, and I don't do that lightly! All that being said, I'll bring this back around to Santa.
I do find it ironic that I live in a culture where people may laugh about my belief in Christ- a faith that I do not hold blindly or carelessly but with great thought, conviction, and assurance- and yet with a straight face may advocate that I tell my children elaborate lies about Santa Claus (knowing it's false!) and do everything in my power to perpetuate this myth for years to come. I guess really it's not that ironic after all, though. Our culture is fond of saying, "Well, if you believe it, then it's true and good for you." This is what's done with Santa Claus. For instance, it's perceived as magical and precious when children believe in Santa. And boy are they encouraged to believe in him! (I'll save my Elf on the Shelf comments for another time...) Everything in our culture is set up for them to believe in Santa around Christmas, and all by the adults who know he's not real!!! And sadly, their belief in him does not make him real. As a follower of Christ, who I cannot see, and as a mom who's trying to teach her children about Him, I can't afford to spin elaborate tales about things that don't exist or aren't true. I want our home to be a place of dialogue about reality, where our kids can wrestle with hard parts of life and really think through what they're learning in this simultaneously wonderful and disappointing world. I want our home to be the first place they do this and the place where they know their questions are always respected and answered as honestly as possible. We need them to have enough trust in us to at least come to us for help. So, as dumb as it may sound, I'm starting with the Santa questions.
While some may assert that this is taking the magic or joy out of Christmas, I would respond that it's putting it in the right place. The joy in Christmas comes from meditating not on a fat man in a chimney, but on the Savior of the world in the womb of his mother. And I would also respond that it was quite magical to hear my boy say "Thank you for the scooter!" this morning! What's even more magical, though, is that there is a grand story, a meta-narrative, a fairy tale if you will, that is actually TRUE. A story of how Christ came into the world to repair the breach between God and man, of how He lived a perfect life and fulfilled all of God's requirements, how He died on behalf of people like us, and how He came to life again three days later with all the strength and power of God! A story of how Christ will physically return one day to set everything right and sit on the throne of David like Scripture prophesied. A story of how those who have believed in Him and followed Him will be with Him forever, and finally know Him fully! Now THIS is something to celebrate! Merry Christmas!
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