My nomination for the most obvious lyric ever written is awarded to the Beach Boys.  In their tune “Little Saint Nick” the boys gave us this incredibly helpful piece of information.

Christmas comes this time each year!

(To be faithful to the text I will show it in context)

It’s the little Saint Nick
Ooooo, little Saint Nick
It’s the little Saint Nick
Ooooo, little Saint Nick

Ahhhhhh
Oooooooo
Merry Christmas Saint Nick
Christmas comes this time each year!!!!

So if the Christmas holiday has been sneaking up on you perhaps you haven’t noticed that Christmas comes at this time every single year! Thanks to the Beach Boys for that amazing insight.

The Beach Boys song imagined Santa’s sleigh as a holiday hot rod but the homage to Saint Nick is intriguing. A little research on Saint Nicholas revealed that he could be both naughty and nice. First, a little background on his “saint” side. The fourth-century bishop of Myra (present-day Turkey) was the role model for our present day Santa Clause. Nicholas was born to a wealthy family. When his parents died he inherited a considerable sum of money, but it is said he gave it all away. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas saved a poor family’s daughters by tossing some gold through the window. The gift landed in stockings that had been hung up to dry. The family was able to pay off their indebtedness and save the children from forced slavery or worse. From that trick shot came the custom of hanging up stockings for St. Nicholas (and now Santa) to fill.

But what about naughty Nick? It seems that old Saint Nick was generous and kind to children but more than a little feisty when it came to his beliefs. Gene Edward Veith wrote this in World Magazine :

“During the Council of Nicea, jolly old St. Nicholas got so fed up with Arius, who taught that Jesus was just a man, that he walked up and slapped him! That unbishoplike behavior got him in trouble. The council almost stripped him of his office, but Nicholas said he was sorry, so he was forgiven. The point is, the original Santa Claus was someone who flew off the handle when he heard someone minimizing Christ.”

Perhaps a gentle slap might be a temptation when you feel something meaningful like Christmas is being minimized by commercial excesses and highly sensitive non-celebrators. I was raised in legalism and saved by grace so I have a different view of the problem in our so called “war on Christmas”. Would it be ungraceful to suggest that Santa should instead gently slap Christians who don’t show grace to those who who disagree with them? Saint Nick only slapped theologians who tried to change essential church doctrine. That is a little more slap worthy than someone saying Happy Holidays in a grocery store when we expect to hear Merry Christmas. After nearly dying of spiritual thirst from legalism I get a little nervous when we, the very representatives of Jesus, fail to offer grace to those who desperately need to experience it. We all need forgiveness. We all need grace. Paul wrote a wonderful message for followers of Jesus.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

(Colossians 3, NLT)

That is a pretty good to do list for the season. And don’t forget our public service announcement that Christmas comes this time each year! You are welcome. And Merry Christmas!

Don’t forget to get your copies of Stay and Waking Up Slowly. Message me at dave@daveburchett.com to find out how you can give personalized copies as gifts!