06 December 2006 Devotion for Today “Sankt Nikolaus” Ephesians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” One of the saints of that region three centuries after Paul left Ephesus was St. Nicholas of Myra. Because of his love for children and giving secret gifts to the underpriviledged, Nicholas is revered throughout the world as the originator of Santa Claus.
Its been nearly four years since we left Germany, but each year when December 6 rolls around my heart goes back to that country and the first celebration of Sankt Nikolaus or Nikolaustag we experienced in 1998. Parents were invited to the school program at the Grundschule Erlensee where our children participated in the festivities. The memory of them singing “Kling Gloeckschen” (Ring Little Bells) and “Ja ist Nikolaus Abend Da!” (Yes Nicholas Will Be Here Tonight!) is indelible as I remember the eyes of the children grow wild with excitement watching St. Nikolaus come storming into the room with a sack of small gifts. He wasn’t wearing a red suit, but arrayed in a bishop’s outfit. As he gave out each gift, he acted as though he was intimately familiar with the personality of each child, commenting on their behavior throughout the year. To one he said, “Fabian, I saw what you did in the hallway just last week. You pretended to take the milk bottles back to the hallway after snack time, but you really ran home, didn’t you, because you forgot your Hausaufgabe (homework). Didn’t you?” The rosy-cheeked Fabian blushed and then smiled as the school room erupted in laughter. To our two boys the old bishop congratulated them on learning the language so well. After nearly a year in the country they had become completely fluent and doing well in their studies. The whole time I am thinking, “this country has things all mixed up. St. Nick doesn’t come out until Christmas Eve. He must be getting a jump on Christmas this year!”
Actually, the original celebration of St. Nikolaus is celebrated in nearly all the continental European countries on December 6, where children receive small gifts (kind of like a pre-Christmas present). But Martin Luther popularized the giving of Christmas presents on Christmas Eve later in the month, focusing upon the great gift that God gave in sending our Savior to the world. That is when the Christkind comes and then she delivers all the presents. I still haven’t figured out why the Germans depict the Christkind as a female angel figure when the name in English means “Christ-child.” But then again, I still haven’t figured out a lot of our American holiday traditions, and how Santa Claus (our version of St. Nikolaus) got so commercialized from a Catholic bishop to a man in a red suit on Christmas Eve. When the Germans hear about the American version coming down a chimney, they laugh! The chimney has nothing to do with it, they say.
Holiday traditions change, but Christ never changes. Christ was the One who inspired St. Nicholas to characterize love and gift-giving. May we focus on Him who inspires the greatest good in all of us this season.
Have a blessed Nikolaustag.
Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net
website: http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/
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