The CITY OF LONDON WELCOMES ST NICK
Presented in Walbrook Church, 16 December 2009 (James Rosenthal)

A letter from St Nicholas

I so much wanted to send special greetings this year to the people of St Stephen Walbrook, the London Internet Church but most especially those in the City of London’s greater business community.

Little did I know the Archdeacon would ask me to read my letter in person, and to remind you all that we at St Stephen are here for you as a house of prayer for all people.

Dear Friends a letter from your friend, St Nicholas

Advent 2009 brings with it the joy and expectation of so much good and hope for our often beleaguered world. People in the City are often first to be faced with the current traumas of the day, especially in matters of business and banking, as well as corporate works and city management. I am also deeply concerned about Christians in the land we call Holy, where entrance to and from Bethlehem is like a battle zone and Christians live in fear and increased poverty and isolation.
My friends at St Nicholas Orthodox Church Beit Jala are much on my mind, as I once live there for several months.

My St Nicholas identity represents the true and untarnished tradition of Santa Claus and Father Christmas. I lived in what is now Turkey and was a Christian bishop. I never heard of the North Pole. All I want is some pc recognition and the right to claim my role. My great concerns were sailors, children and those in need. I do not fly through the air with elves and reindeer, but walked the streets and met face to face the people, like all of you, that attempt to live full lives, that I believe can be so much better when truth triumphs over fantasy and often greed and more. I am real like you. I cry and laugh; I sink or swim in my daily affairs.

I love fun and I love giving and receiving gifts, but I wish people could be saner about it, some go so overboard, especially when words like recession and recovery loom over us so hard. I sometimes get depressed or at least anxious when I see what people must go through in life, whether work troubles, money matters or relationships that are strained and go wrong, usually because of unusual pressure caused,yes often by those in authority over others, or our own lack luster approach to life.

Yet we all gather together at this time of the year with the best intentions of making our lives and those of our friends, family and co-workers better, in all matters, especially when some find themselves out of work, out of control and out of energy. We shed a tear, we crack a smile, we hold a hand, we try to pray.

Christmas, my friends, gives us that chance to re-fuel. Whether it’s the words of the familiar Bible stories or the soothing carols and organ music, we come here in large numbers to “see that thing which is come to pass” and realize that, as often true in life, a tiny baby can bring about that sense of unity and oneness we all long for day by day.

The St Nicholas tradition takes the unhealthy extremes of the pure secular approach to Christmas, which, thank God, still is known by its true name – Christ – Mass, something we must hold dear but most importantly share. We need to support each other whether we sell or buy, give or get, save or spend. This is God’s world and God has given us the power, obligation and privilege of making it the best for all. We come to witness to the power of Christmas, nit to Yule Logs or the Winter Solstice, but we come in awe of incarnation, flesh and blood.

As St Nicholas I must remind you, as lovely and handsome as I am in my elegant robes, I am not the reason for what we gather to recall, I can help lead you to this special place, especially for those who have had bad experiences with the church, work and society, and even to this even more special reminder, that St Nick kneels with you before Mary and Joseph and the babe, who still has the power to change our sadness to joy, our gloom into glamour and dare I say, our wars into peace.

I ask you all – when will we say enough is enough.

As the gift-giver and patron saint of so many, I ask you to encourage your family and friends to come with the real Santa, St Nicholas and come to the stable, the manger, the crib and see this thing that hascome to pass, and stop and breathe in life, life that lasts for ever, all because of a baby. So decide if you want to be a shepherd, an angel, Mary, Joseph, Wise Ones, a or even me, but who or whatever, just get to Bethlehem and shout with billions of people of goodwill around the world, Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Faithfully yours,

PS Santa Claus is fine, St Nicholas is just better.
May God bless us all, everyone.

© 2009  St Nicholas Society/Rosenthal

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