"On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts…" (Matthew 2: 11b NRSV)

Santa Claus: in American folklore, a fat, jolly old man in a red suit who makes toys for children and distributes them at Christmas. Also known as Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas.

In the spirit of Christmas, I’d like to thank all Soulfoodministry.org readers and volunteers for being part of such a wonderful adventure with God. Soulfoodministry.org was birthed in August 1998. This is our second Christmas online as we approach the New Year, 21^st century and new millennium. What a year it has been!

What initially began as an English spirituality website, soon became multilingual due to the generosity of two wonderful volunteers. Cyber Spirituality documents are now available for international readers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian. Thanks to some financial gifting from UFMCC, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (www.mccchurch.org), additional translation work was added in 1999. We have website visitors from Australia, Russia, throughout Latin America and the USA.

The meaning of Christmas is universal. God blesses us with special Presence and joy through the Christ child found in the manger story. People throughout the ages have knelt in humble adoration of what God has done through the infant Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us. Peace on earth and good will towards each other. Jesus is God’s Shalom (Peace) for us as a baby.

I live and write in North America as a Protestant minister. It’s easy to forget the real meaning of Christmas with all the busyness of the season and American commercialism. Where can we find the Christ child?

My father shared a valuable insight about this. I spent two weeks with him as he was recovering from emergency open-heart surgery. We talked about Santa Claus and the meaning of Christmas. He thoughtfully shared, ‘I don’t understand why some people are so upset with Santa Claus! Santa is a miracle. People buy gifts and try to express their love. Soldiers around the world stop shooting at each other. Even if it’s an uneasy and temporary peace, I think this is good. So why be upset at Santa Claus? Santa does a lot of good.’

My favorite Christmas decoration is an inexpensive glass figurine of a kneeling Santa by the baby Jesus. Mother Frances Dominica has said, "You will find the living God in the pages of the Bible. You will find him also just exactly where you are (Prayer)." While Santa Claus is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, wise men traveled many dangerous miles to bring the child beautiful gifts. This lovely story can be found in the Bible book of Matthew, chapter 2, and verses 1-12.

May the Spirit of Christmas and the Kneeling Santa be yours! May God bless you with Christ’s Shalom as we enter the new millennium.

The author of this material is "Surprised by Joy" (surprisedbyjoy@yahoo.com). "Surprised by Joy" is an ordained UFMCC Christian minister who discovered that God is wonder-full to be with. It is our hope and prayer at soulfoodministry.org that all visitors will experience the tenderloving-kindness of God and receive spiritual food for their journey.