THE REAL DEAL

Thought Adjuster: “In your folk tradition, a bearded, chubby, rosy-cheeked, and jolly Santa Claus—aka Father Christmas—tours your planet on a starry night in a gravitation-exempt sled driven by red-nosed reindeers that effortlessly ferry tons of gifts for home deliveries from an undisclosed North Pole location. They follow a precisely charted route. Each present has been carefully selected and custom-built in Santa’s giant state-of-the-art manufacture by myriads of green-hatted merry elves who diligently refer to the good and naughty lists as criteria for their secret operation.

Parents easily convince their gullible kiddos that it is so. They urge them to be on their best behavior as insurance that Santa will drop by under cover of darkness through a fictional chimney and consume a plate of cookies left for him by the sound-asleep household as a token of gratitude. Seriously?

Such a far-fetched story told with a straight face and in minute colorful details detains undeniable power of conviction, as it fits snuggly into the children’s wishful thinking. The parental motive is to stage a magical moment for their loved ones. Sooner or later, the day comes when, though independent, intelligent reflection or the sobering debriefing of their more enlightened peers, they unmask the delusion of such a narrative.

Even though it is fictitious, you can extract a few relevant points from this scenario:

The trusted role that parents play as primary educators.
The openness of children’s minds.
Most of all, everyone’s heartfelt longings for love-in-action.

Let us now look at the historical facts of the Christmas event, setting aside all artificial embellishments. A divine son was born on your world to experience the ins and outs of the human condition and, based on his first-hand experience, fix its brokenness and elevate it to unprecedented spiritual heights. His life set practical guidelines on getting to know your indwelling divine presence and experiencing the fullness of its love.

Considering the ease with which parents talk their little ones into believing in a fictitious character, who knows how much they could achieve if they took to heart to educate them about the real miracle of Christmas. Viewed from this perspective, it is undoubtedly more convincing.”