Wednesday 8 December 2021

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Burnaby, British Columbia

Santa Behind Plexiglass

He’s loved by the young ones. Benevolently, he works hard to please the kids at this time of year; operating in the North Pole in great preparation for the snow season. His beard, if big and white, like his snowy surroundings. The red outfit stands out. He’s chubby, jolly, and upbeat. He’s kind to all and keeps, as companions, a slew of reindeer that render him a great service. Without them he couldn’t get around. Affectionately he’s known as Santa Claus.

Historically, Santa was morphed out of St. Nicholas, a kindly charitable man of a religious demeanour. He was born in turkey, it is believed, in 270 AD, and it was the company Coca-Cola that helped shape the current image of the jolly old fellow. Santa, a reconstruction of the pious St. Nicholas, can be found in shopping centres behind plexiglass, thanks to Covid-19 safety restrictions. These days you can’t be too sure who is carrying the virus. It’s certainly not a nice gift to exchange, ever.

I was reflecting on how I was very disenchanted 49 years ago at the time – Christmas – when the mercenary mood of Christmas had become, for me, a turn-off and led me to a search for Krishna. I met Krishna monks and was relieved to hear from them that Jesus, or Christ, was kind, compassionate, caring, and stood for peace. They embraced the teachings of Jesus and believed more in his purity than the so-called magic of Christmas. My strong opinion holds that the Grinch did steal Christmas. Now, let’s see if his heart gets big.

May the Source be with you!

3 km


 

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