Page 41 - Presbyterian Connection – Spring 2021
P. 41

Connection
REFLECTIONS
Zooming with Santa
presbyterian.ca
SPRING 2021
PRESBYTERIAN
41
   Five-year-old Cayden and Santa meeting online just prior to Christmas.
lost our family cat in February and our dog in August. My daughter will only ask you one question on the call. It is, ‘Santa, do you see my brother in heaven?’”
This type of question is not unu- sual and needs to be thought through very carefully. I often rely on my wife, Mrs. Claus, for help in thinking of an appropriate response.
Preparing Santa’s set-up for the calls began in the summer. Mrs. Claus was just a little surprised when the elves showed up with a gallon of Chroma Key green paint and painted one of the basement walls to work as a green screen. A lighting system from the local community channel was also set up and the Internet con- nection was strengthened by switch- ing from a wireless connection to a direct connection to the router so that Santa’s visits would not be inter- rupted by a slow Wi-Fi connection. I then embarked on a whole new ad- venture learning OBS (Open Broad- caster Software), a video recording program with tools that make it pos- sible for the North Pole, the toyshop, the conservatory with the northern lights, and snowfall to be shown on the green screen in the background. And then I hunted down the right webcam.
In the weeks that led up to Christ- mas, I did Zoom calls with five local schools where teachers went class to class, a few churches in Toronto and some of the families of my col- leagues. There were six hours of visiting with the CNIB children in Newfoundland and Labrador, and two-hour sessions with the families of the John Howard Society and Ron- ald McDonald House. On Christmas Eve, Santa did a Zoom call with the Intensive Care Department of the children’s hospital and tried not only to cheer up the children and their families but add a little joy to the amazing professionals who work dili- gently through the night.
him, we can know peace and confi- dence, even in a world that makes us fearful and uncertain.
In the coming months, we will join millions around the globe in praying that the coronavirus pandemic will be wiped out by a combination of so- cial distancing, good health practices and appropriate vaccines, encour- aged by the fact that our world has faced larger pandemics in the past and recovered. But as we wait, we ought also to be reassured that God is for us and not against us, and that we need fear neither the God of the
By Bruce Templeton, Clerk of Session at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in St. John’s N.L., member of the PCC Trustee Board and Investment Advisory Committee
Bruce Templeton and his family, who live in Newfoundland, have assisted Santa Claus for the past 42 years and have brought the joy and hope of Christmas to countless children with more than 1,500 Santa Claus visits. Bruce holds the honour of be- ing one of only three Canadians to be inducted into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame.
Last year, when the seriousness of the pandemic became clear and all gatherings became online meet- ings, Bruce and his family realized that things were different, and that Christmas would present unique challenges to the tradition of meet- ing Santa at Christmastime. Never- theless, Santa and his helpers rose to the challenge and organized a way to meet with children across Cana- da—virtually.
There are, I believe, three levels of professional Santa Clauses. The first/starting level is the seasonal performer. The second level comes after years of experience, countless
Continued from page 40
who entered not the Holy of Holies “behind the curtain” in Jerusalem’s temple, a “sanctuary made by human hands,” but “heaven itself, [where he now appears] in the presence of God on our behalf” (9:24), securing an- chorage for us.
The Hebrews 6:19 image of Jesus as our anchor, though it occurs only once, lies within a larger discussion of his role as the One who mediates the gulf between sinful humans and a holy God (2:17, 4:14, 6:20, 7:26, 10:21). Jesus thus links, connects or tethers us to God, just as an an-
upgrades of Santa attire and study of the history and lore of Christmas. Who knew, for example, that the nine reindeer who carry Santa around in his sleigh on Christmas Eve are all females?
Mrs. Claus is not surprised by this at all and reminds Santa annually that nine males would get lost and cer- tainly run out of energy before the job was complete!
Those at the second level are able to listen, not only to children’s wants and wishes, but also to their tough questions that need to be answered. Those who can answer the tough questions graduate to the third level of doing the work of St. Nicholas where one brings peace, hope and acceptance in very difficult times.
This year, one such question came from a nine-year-old girl who was set to receive a special Zoom call from Santa at Christmastime. In prepara- tion for the online calls, parents were asked to “whisper in Santa’s ear” so that Santa was “in the know” in ad- vance of the call. Her mother wrote: “Santa, your call to my daughter is really important this Christmas. Her dad cannot get home from Brazil where he is working. Our family has had a tough year. Our son died of cerebral palsy at age 16. As well, we
chor links, connects or tethers a ship to a firm foundation. This anchoring ministry of our mediator is further elaborated by the word, “forerunner,” in Hebrews 6:20. Just as an advance party of forerunners might go ahead to ensure that it’s safe for the rest of an army to move forward, so Jesus our forerunner opened, pioneered or cleared for us a way to God, having overcome all temptations and con- quered the power of both sin and death. Being fully God but also fully human, the exalted Jesus thus rep- resents us before God. Anchored to
Santa and his nine-year-old friend feeding the ducks and talking together.
When it came time for the nine- year-old girl to receive her visit from Santa, provincial health guidelines made it permissible to meet in per- son outdoors, so Santa arranged to meet her safely outdoors with her mother instead. Near where they live, there is a small pond with ducks. The family has erected a bench in memo- ry of their son, who they used to take there in his wheelchair. Santa, safely masked and with a big bag of duck food in hand, met her and her mother there, and together we fed the ducks. We then sat on the bench and I told her the story of the Saint who would become Santa Claus.
We chatted about a young boy her age whose parents had died and was brought up by a church. He gave his money to those who needed it and had started by putting coins in three young girls’ stockings. The young boy went on to become St. Nicho-
universe nor the crises that come our way, for Jesus Christ, our great high priest, anchor and forerunner, who has redeemed us and is in the midst of restoring us, tethers us to a God without limits. In him we’re forever secure and safe.
I close with some words from a song written by Graham Kendrick, “No Need to Fear.” You can find it beautifully sung by Sylvia Burn- side, accompanied by the New Irish Choir and Orchestra, recorded in St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast. See: youtube.com/watch?v=KkabiFoIhDg.
las. I told my little friend that every time she came to this place, she would remember her brother and St. Nicholas. As we were getting ready to leave, my little friend gave Santa a big hug.
“Thank you, Santa, that is all I needed to know for Christmas. I know now that my brother is safe with St. Nicholas.” Then she pointed out into the pond at the gaggle of ducks and said, “Look Santa, there are two white ones. I wonder if they are my brother and Nicholas.”
No need to fear
When times of trouble come Oppression’s storm beats at your door
No need to fear.
No need to fear
Though evil seems so strong Their pride and power is not for long
Be still my soul and trust in God And place your life into his hands For he will never fail you
And in the morning, you’ll see his face
No need to fear—don’t fear.
   

























































   39   40   41   42   43