In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a question submitted by a podcast listener: If you choose to participate in the tradition of Santa Claus with your young children, do you run the risk of losing their trust when they find out the truth, possibly causing them to have a crisis of faith later in life? How can the magic of Christmas be brought into a Christian home?
Spoiler alert: Dr. White and his wife embraced the tradition of Santa in their home with their (then) four young children and (now) fifteen grandchildren. But “how” you do it is important. And the most important thing is to keep Christ as the focus of this season. For a deeper exploration into this subject, we'd encourage you to check out a series given by Dr. White at Mecklenburg Community Church called “Keeping Christ in Christmas.” You'll learn about the rich Christian history surrounding many of the traditions of Christmas, including Santa Claus.
It's also so important, as Dr. White mentioned, to know the true history of the man named St. Nicholas - a man whose deep faith in God and love of children was so profound that he is considered the patron saint of children. You can read more about this in a blog written by Dr. White called “Yes, Virginia,” which is shared annually by the Church & Culture Team.
Finally, Dr. White also noted that it's important when celebrating Santa as a part of your Christmas tradition to keep the spirit of giving focused in the right place. You can read more about this in a blog Dr. White wrote called, “Giving to Christ at Christmas,” also published annually around this time of year.
Keep those questions coming! We'd love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.
Thank you all so much for listening/watching the podcast! We pray that you have a very blessed Christmas and we'll be back with new episodes in the new year!