Dear Editor:
2020 has been a year beyond belief in demoralizing events, instilling fear and dread in every aspect of our daily lives. So where now does the spirit of Christmas fit in?
I saw my answer to that question in the eyes of an unnamed child watching a televised Santa Claus parade. I couldn’t help but see the fascination, wonder, excitement, joy and most of all, hope, in the expression in those eyes.
Truly this year more than most, we need to rekindle that spirit brought on by this traditional season of hope and giving. Every year, the legendary Santa becomes this sense of wonder and anticipation for countless youngsters around the world.
As all legends go, there is always an element of truth in its roots. There is no doubt in my mind that somewhere in continental Europe, possibly in the 18th century that a retired, kindly carpenter did indeed fashion and deliver wooden toys to the children of his village, simply out of the goodness of his heart, every Christmas Eve. No doubt too, he made those deliveries on a reindeer-drawn sleigh, and possible even lived north of the village. As his village grew, the reindeer would figuratively, if not literally, have to “fly” to complete his giving of those gifts.
The original Santa would be the first to admit that he was not the proverbial “reason for the season”. That honour goes to a little town called Bethlehem, many centuries before.
Without the original nativity in Bethlehem, Santa would have no basis to be the character we know today. There is no reason to believe that Bethlehem and the North Pole cannot co-exist, for each in its own way delivers hope and wonder.
The world today, and the world in Bethlehem then, are not a lot different, imprisoned and demeaned by a force beyond any control; Bethlehem, by a powerful Roman army of occupation; and today, by this unseen and demonic virus.
No matter what our age, especially now, let’s return to that spirit of mystery, wonder and hope so evident in any child, and act with the true spirit of Christmas.
And with that, I leave you with this thought: “Merry Christmas,” in its true and original form.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest