I can’t remember when I stopped believing in Father Christmas. To be honest, I’m not sure if I ever believed in him at all, as the old German St. Nicholas was far more important in our family. It was surely he who, on the night of December 5th, filled the shoes we had carefully placed beside our beds: we were always excited to wake up the next morning and see what chocolate goodies he had left. When we reached St. Nicholas’ Day we knew that Christmas was just around the corner.

Of course, most clued-up children know that Father Christmas doesn’t really exist. Even though bearded and rotund gentlemen clad in scarlet suits are to be found in every shopping centre (and even our church fair!), they are clearly imposters, spoiling the magic. And we all know that many young children, having had their expectations raised by the promise of “a visit to see Father Christmas”, end up bursting into tears when they finally encounter this unfamiliar, even frightening, personage.

Well, children soon grow up and adopt a more realistic – one might even say cynical and materialistic – approach to Christmas. Nevertheless one hopes that they still retain some of the wonder and excitement which was theirs when they were little. And I, as a Christian minister, fervently hope that they will not “grow out of” Jesus as easily as they did Father Christmas. For it is all too easy to regard both of them as fairy-tale figures which we discard once we become older and supposedly wiser.

It seems to me that the churches themselves have fostered this view, albeit unintentionally. For most churches hold Family or Crib Services at Christmas, with a desire to involve children in the worship. This is laudable – but it may give the impression that this great festival has little to do with adults. We also know that every Primary School presents its Nativity Play; these are wonderful, of course, but might there not also be room for more thoughtful, grown-up, productions?

Then we have the Christmas story itself: although it’s centred around a baby, it isn’t specifically aimed at children. Of course we love the pictures of the Shepherds and Wise Men worshipping at the manger; but we mustn’t forget the discomfort and rejection that Mary and Joseph had experienced as they travelled to Bethlehem, nor the horrific massacre perpetrated by King Herod when he heard he had a potential rival. These stories are certainly not pitched at a child’s level – in fact they reek very much of the problems our world still faces today.

So let’s, by all means, tell the Christmas story to children. But let’s also make sure that it doesn’t get so entwined with childhood that we leave it behind as we grow up. For the essence of Christmas has nothing to do with donkeys or inn-keepers or cattle or camels: it is actually the idea that God became a real live human being in order to save his creation. The deep theology and profound mystery in that statement take us well beyond a simple tale for children. This is a story we can believe in throughout our adult lives.

With Christmas wishes,

Andrew.