"SANTA!!! I Know Him!"

Well, dear friends, it is Christmas, and it is what we call "the most wonderful time of the year!"

Christmas holds a special place in each and every one of our hearts because it is one of the most fantastic traditions we pass on from generation to generation. As kids, we were in awe of Santa Claus - he was just about the coolest person in the whole world to us. As adults, we are inspired each and every year when we see just how excited these kids get over this jolly red-clad man.

Just about two weeks ago, I had the great honor of helping out Santa himself during an event SLU held for underprivileged kids in the Saint Louis area. We had a Christmas Carnival that ended with Santa Claus comin' to town and giving out toys donated by the SLU community. My job was to dawn my elf hat and Christmas jacket and assume the identity of "The Elf Enforcer". Essentially, I just talked to kids as they waited to see Santa. What at first seemed to be a tiring and mundane task, later turned out to be a real eye-opener. I was amazed that these kids were literally jumping and screaming over the simple thought that I had rode to the event form The North Pole in The Sleigh. The absolute last thing on their minds was the toy they would soon find under the wrapping. Each and every child that came up had a series of questions for me about The North Pole and my job, and each time that I answered one, they all jumped for joy. They asked questions like, "If elves are so small, how can they make such big toys?" or, "Who is Santa's great great great great great grandfather?" or my favorite, "If I was naughty, but I asked for coal... then Santa HAS to give me something else, right?"

What mattered to these kids the most was the idea that there was actually a person out there who, against all odds, cared for them and would always be good to them. They didn't care as much about the physical gifts that Santa would bring them... simply the fact that there is a person who watches over them and rewards them for that which often goes unseen. That, my friends, is the spirit of Christmas.

Many of you today would say, "that's nice and all, but Santa isn't actually real, so those warm thoughts won't do much for me." Well, that may be true, but it depends on how you see Santa. What if Santa exists in a way other than what we normally think of? What if he isn't a jolly man in a red suit, but really, he's our conscience? What if that drive to do good and care for others that we get during this season is Santa? I say to all of you - Santa is as real as it gets. He lives in each of our hearts and reminds us that Christmas is about taking the gift of life that Jesus gave us and sharing it with others. It's not about the gifts we get or the money we spend this year, it's about taking time out of our busy scheduled to let each other know that the greatest gift we have is the gift of being there for each other.