There’s an actua
l town called “North Pole in Alaska. And every year countless letters come to North Pole at this time of the year, all addressed to the Big Man in the Red Suit. In fact, a few years ago 120,000 letters arrived from 26 countries, not counting the thousands with no return address. A group of several dozen volunteers sort through 6,000 letters a day during this season (12,000 a day at crunch time) to send preprinted replies to children who include their return addresses.
One volunteer reports every kind of request from children. As the article reads, “There are the children who want the latest toys and gizmos they see on TV. There are the children who ask for miracles, orphans wanting their mother back for Christmas or a father back from Iraq, even though he died there. Many letter writers point out how good they’ve been. Some enclose a dollar bill to cover postage.” One letter even came from Michigan addressed to Santa with a thousand-dollar money order and an anonymous note that said: “If you are who you say you are, you’ll put this to good use.”
Wow! That’s one really rich kid or one severely deceived adult!
Returning letters from Santa to expectant children seems like a cute program, but it’s a little disconcerting (at least to me) that kids are asking for more than toys; they’re asking for miracles. Some of them are hurting terribly and offering up prayers that could never be answered by a fat elf who rides a sleigh.
This isn’t meant to be a rant against Santa Claus, but a comforting reminder for young and old: while it is unlikely that Jesus will restore dead mothers and fathers to their orphaned children on December 25, he is the one who issues miraculous health for suffering tiny bodies, the one who forgives broken little consciences, the one who provides food and safety for his precious children, the one who takes grandma and daddy to heaven and holds them safely in his mighty arms, the one who answers the littlest requests squeaked out in the midst of a terrible storm: “Jesus, please help me be a big boy and not be afraid!” He not only hears, but he listens because he truly lives. He came to this earth and experienced our pain; he came to this earth and endured our punishment; he rose from the dead and rules over all things for the good of his people until someday when he will come on the clouds of heaven, not to throw a few fragile toys our way, but to give us a new heaven and earth where daddies don’t die and pain is a laughable thing of the past. Now that will be a truly “Merry Christmas!”
Luke 21:27-28
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
NIV
Quotes from “Letters to Santa flood Alaskan town” By RACHEL D’ORO, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 9, 6:08 AM ET
