Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
– Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
When I was seven years old, I was sure God had given me a Christmas gift. In my defense, I’d just learned to read, and the tag on the huge dancing doll underneath the Christmas tree read, “To Robin, from the Christ’s.”
I didn’t try to ponder how God had given me such a gift. I just accepted it and felt his favor and love. I kept the secret to myself, until my mother prompted me to send a thank you note for the doll to my Aunt Marion and Uncle Stuart Christ.
DO YOU BELIEVE?
I look back on that story now and laugh at the gullibility and faith of my child self. But children don’t need proof to believe, and that’s one of the reasons why I love the Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street so much.
For those who never had the privilege of watching this classic, Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 movie filmed in New York City, and the opening scene takes place during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The plot features Maureen O’Hara, playing a single mother named Doris, and her eight-year-old daughter Susan, played by Natalie Wood. Doris, a busy executive at Macy’s, taught her daughter not to believe in fairy tales. An older man named Kris Kringle is hired as the department store Santa Claus, but he claims to be the real Santa.
TRUST IN WHAT WE CAN'T SEE
There are many reasons I love watching this movie. My mother would have been 17 years old when the film premiered, and when watching it with her I loved hearing her comments about the clothes the women wore, how their homes were decorated, and the cars they drove. I have visited New York many times and enjoyed the city scenes. But the overall theme for me is the faith of a child.
It is interesting how Doris mothers Susan. She is an early version of a helicopter mom. She refuses to let her daughter be a carefree, fun-loving child. While other children are playacting or chewing bubble gum, Susan is encouraged to act like a small adult and only trust what she can see.
HIS WONDERFUL GIFTS
I know it is controversial to compare believing in Santa Claus with believing in God, but the underlying concept of faith is similar. As children we accept what adults tell us, and in my case, I believed that God loved me, and love often meant receiving wonderful gifts. That’s all the proof I needed to imagine God would give me a doll. And it’s all the proof young Susan needed when she asked for a cherished gift.
As adults, things get more complicated. We want hard evidence. We trust only what we can see. We are skeptics. If only we could have the faith of a child, believing would be so much easier.
Reflect: What beliefs about Christmas did you have as a child, and how are they different today?
