Friday, Dec 17, 2021
“Can Santa Wear Green?”
Is Santa allowed to wear a green suit instead of a red one? In case you didn’t know, the earliest images of Saint Nicholas actually show him wearing a green suit, not red. The LORD provided us with multiple people who are called by the title, “Saint Nicholas”, but the one we are referring to is Saint Nicholas of Myra, who is the one we lovingly call, “Santa Claus”.
Our culture is loaded with traditions, laws, and customs that originate in the Church. Our Calendar is rooted in the Church. Our legal and justice systems, responses when someone sneezes, weddings, funerals, mealtime blessings, weekends off from work, and countless other things are squarely founded upon the teachings from the Church. Yes, even Christmas came from the Church.
Now, if you’re like many of us who have been hurt by The Church in the past, don’t quit reading yet. The Church has made plenty of mistakes, intentional and accidental, and some very bad. However, over the course of history, it would be impossible to calculate the amount of good that had come through The Church. Nothing stands as strong as The Church, especially this time of the year. Why? Because God is protecting The Church.
That’s right, God is protecting The Church. God has promised that even in the worst of times, a remnant of The Church will survive and grow again. Yes, nothing has withstood the pains of history like The Church. In fact, it has been during the most difficult times of history that The Church has grown and flourished the most. (WARNING! This is also a metaphor. Go back and substitute your name where you see the words, “The Church”, in the preceding two paragraphs.)
So, enough of that. Santa used to wear green because green is the symbolic color of life. Saint Nicholas of Myra is best known for his protection of other people, giving them the opportunity to receive a new start in life. As images of St. Nicholas first surfaced in the 4th Century, green was chosen for that reason.
Go to Church this Christmas Season. Wear green, red, or any color you wish. God doesn’t care what you wear. God just wants you.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ “ (Jeremiah, 31:37, NLT).