Letter to Editor: Santa Claus

Dear Children,

I know this has been a rough year for us all. The North Pole has been too cold for corona virus to affect the workshop, but supplies have been difficult to get, even with the magic of the Christmas spirit. I have seen many letters asking for mom and dad to get a job, grandma and grandpa to be safe and for the corona virus to go away.

Honestly this year reminded me of the first year I began giving out gifts. It was the year 296, yes that was almost 2000 years ago. I grew up in Patara, a city that was near where Myra, a city in Turkey, is today. The country was very poor, but I happened to grow up in a rich family by comparison. That first year I heard about three young girls in a poor family, the father was going to sell them. Yes, they were going to be sold as slaves. It was because the family had no money, and back then, in order to be free, a woman must be married, and in order to be married they needed a dowry. A dowry is a fairly large sum of money, the equivalent of a year or more of salary, about $50,000 today. My father had died and left me with a vast amount of money, so I decided then and there I would use the money to help those that needed it most. I paid the dowry for those three young girls so they could be free.

I never told anyone what I had done, but somehow word got out that I was the one who left the money. I had dropped it down their chimney in the night so it would land on the hearth. It was the summer so there was no fire because it was only burning to cook meals during the day. I guess someone must have seen me, so you might say I was caught on my first secret gift delivery. I have gotten much better at getting away unseen in the last thousand years.

I like to share this story, especially when many of you are living in fear of what is to come. Corona virus has closed many schools, caused us all to wear masks and put many people out of work. Most of these things have come from fear of the virus. I am sorry, but even though I am magical and immune to the virus, I do not have the power to make it go away. There is only one that can make it go away, and He is the only reason I even exist.

Just over 2000 years ago in the little town of Bethlehem a baby was born. His name was Jesus. He was not just any baby, but was the son of the living God. He was sent into the world because of God’s love for us. He is the one that can not only protect and heal from the virus, but also remove the fear around it. The Bible teaches us in I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.” The Bible also says that God is love, which means that God can remove all fear.

It was my faith in God that allowed me to give away all that I had to help those in need. It was God’s perfect love showing through me that removed the fear of the three young girls that fateful night that created the magic of Santa. My hope for you all this Christmas is that the love of God reaches you through someone and the fear brought on by this crazy year will not be able to keep you. I desire to give you much more than gifts this year, but to also bring peace, hope, love and joy into your hearts and homes so that the fear cannot remain.

Love,

Santa