Sorry about the wrong title yesterday. Probably should have had more coffee before I started typing. HA!
This is part 2 of some thoughts concerning what I’ll tell Jordan one day when she no longer believes in Santa. I’m reading a book called “The True Saint Nicholas” and it’s stirring up all sorts of thoughts.
Much love and Happy Friday!
Glenn || PATREON / BUY ME A COFFEE
Here's another interesting note about St. Nicholas (it may make more sense if you read yesterday's first. Or maybe not. I don't know. You're your own person, do what you want. HA!)
In the year 284 CE Emperor Diocletian grew suspicious of Christians because they refused to worship the gods of Rome or even offer a sacrifice to the Emperor.
This was a huge deal for the Romans.
It wasn't so much that they wanted everyone worshipping the same gods. (Low blow coming, sorry) I mean, they weren't like your far right Evangelicals who think the whole world should worship Jesus or burn in hell because they think Jesus is "the only way". Instead, the reason why they wanted everyone worshipping the gods of Rome is because they didn't want to make the gods mad because mad gods would mean ...
Losing wars.
Experiencing famines.
Plagues.
Hardship.
Etc.
In other words, at least part of the reason why Diocletian and others hated the Christians so much was because there was fear that their refusal to worship the gods would send the gods into a rage and so rather than gamble on how their anger might unfold, the best solution was to just get rid of the Christians.
On top of that, if they refused to offer sacrifices to the Emperor ... how invested were they in Rome and all that Rome stood for? In Diocletian's mind, they were just taking up space and weren't really all that invested in the cause and vision of Rome for world domination.
All the more reason to eliminate them.
And so ...
Churches were destroyed.
Scriptures were burned.
Christians could no longer hold any sort of public office.
All Christians were ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods or be imprisoned, beaten, executed.
Saint Nicholas was one of the Christians who was dragged off to prison in the wake of Diocletian's rampage. Stories say that Nicholas refused to renounce his faith and refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods of Rome and so he was often pulled from his cell, beaten until he lost consciousness, and then thrown back in until he gained enough strength to endure another beating.
This went on.
And on.
And on.
And on.
BUT.
Even so, accounts say that Nicholas continued his ministry in the midst of the beatings, comforting his fellow prisoners, tending to their wounds, and even leading them in prayers. Some reports say that he was even allowed to have visitors to whom he would give letters to so that they could be smuggled out of the prison and get into the hands of his flock that was scattered around the land, hiding from the Roman soldiers.
The rampage didn't last forever, though, because eventually Diocletian died and then although his successor (Galerius) doubled down on the persecutions, he eventually relented from his deathbed and ordered the Christians and their faith to be tolerated throughout Rome.
AND THEN.
Along came came Constantine who (as problematic as he was) granted freedom of worship to ALL religions (Christianity included) and ordered Rome to give back all the land and property it had stolen from the Christians.
... and that's when Nicholas was released from his prison term and allowed to, once again, see the light of day.
As I said yesterday, one day when Jordan doesn't "believe in Santa" anymore I'll tell her these stories about St. Nick and I'll tell her that one of the reasons why we told her that Santa is real is because ... he was real ... and even in his darkest time ...
Even when he was in jail.
Even when he was beaten.
Even when he was down.
Even when he was hanging on by a thread.
... He stayed true to himself.
And I'll tell Jordan that there's a lesson there, a lesson we can learn from St. Nick ... a lesson we can learn from Santa. And the lesson is that sometimes life will give you a beating - sometimes you'll cry yourself to sleep, you'll cry in your dreams, and then you'll wake up and cry some more; sometimes life will sideswipe you with pain and turmoil and sadness and loss that you didn't know was possible; sometimes you'll want to give in; sometimes you'll want to abandon your morals and become someone you're not just so that life will be a little bit easier and you'll experience some reprieve.
Sometimes you'll want to sacrifice your character and your values and who you are on the altar of making things easier.
I'll tell her that Santa didn't do that, he remained true to himself. He continued to minister to his cellmates, he continued to get word out to his flock that was scattered around Rome, he continued to hold on to his own faith in Christ and what mattered most to him, regardless of what the world threw at him ... and I think that's a really good model for all of us to follow
Yeah?