The Anti-Manichaeist

Taken from the fall 2003 issue of In Communion, the journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, there is an over-view of legends associated with St. Nicholas of Myra, whom Coca-Cola abducted to help sell its soda.

The real “Santa” was not an anagram of “Satan” ;). He was born around 280 AD to a wealthy family but lived for a while as a homeless pauper. He was both a spiritual and material benefactor for many people, served as a bishop, was imprisoned for his faith, defended the Trinity against the Arian heresy(a politically-significant act, since it was highly controversial for Caesar to submit to God who had been a lowly carpenter), intervened against the unjust execution of the death-penalty and has a website dedicated to him.

I plan to share about the real Santa with my kid sister and younger cousins this Christmas as we try to make Christmas more of a counter-cultural holiday.

dlw

ps, it seems the cultural wars have been extended to a battle for the real st. Nick would have been on. Some claim that he would have been a red-stater!