457 Clothman Goes to Hell, Part 2
Santa Claus started out so good. Every Christmas he loaded his sleigh with lots of toys, to bring to all the girls and boys. I assumed he did so because he loved making children happy.
Then people started telling me that instead of looking forward to Santa’s coming I had better watch out, better not cry and better not pout. Why? Because in addition to making toys during the off-season, I was told that Santa was making a list and checking it twice, to find out who had been naughty or nice. And unless I wanted coal in my stocking, I had better be good for goodness sake.
I just knew I was getting coal because I was often as naughty as I was nice. Christmas quickly lost its glow and Santa became a symbol of legalism and fear.
Who stole Christmas? Who transformed Santa Claus from an unconditionally benevolent person to a grinch who only rewards perfection? It must have been the same folks who stole the baby Jesus.
When Jesus was born an angel declared, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” John the Baptist shouted, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus said, “And I, as I am lifted up from the earth (his resurrection), will attract everyone to me and gather them around me” (John 12:32). And Paul said: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
What an awesome Christmas story; God’s gift of forgiveness given to everyone. Joy to the world!
But people started telling me that the angel, John, Jesus and Paul didn’t really mean what they said. I was told that before God can forgive you have to: a) be lucky enough (or chosen) to hear the true message of Jesus preached; and b) respond properly to that message. Otherwise, worse than coal in your stocking, God will give you an eternity of burning like coal in hell.
For two decades I assumed what people told me was correct. Heck, I occasionally told others the same thing - though always with great reluctance because something just didn’t seem right with that picture. If forgiveness is a free gift, then why do we have to work so hard to get it? And if God is so loving, then why is he sending most of humanity to hell?
If indeed Santa only brought gifts to perfect kids and Jesus came to only save some of humanity then there really wouldn’t be much to celebrate at Christmas. However, there is much to celebrate at Christmas because I believe both the gift-stingy Santa and the hell-sending God are myths.
For example, even though I’ve never been perfectly good for goodness sake I’ve always received presents at Christmas. And despite what some folks say, the angel, John, Jesus and Paul did mean what they said. The birth of Jesus really is good news of great joy for all people.
Have you ever dared to believe that perhaps God both loves and forgives everyone freely and that Jesus really was born to save all people? I have and I’ll tell you why next week.
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