Here He Comes
Dan Kunz
I have a confession to make. When I was a little boy, I was crazy about cowboys. I wore a cowboy hat. I wore boots and chaps. I wore a belt with two holsters filled with six-guns. I wanted a horse. I wanted to ride the range. I wanted to catch bandits and rustlers. Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry were my heroes. I watched their TV programs. I dressed like them. I asked for anything connected with them for Christmas. Yup, I idolized them. Truth be told, I still wear western hats, boots, and belts from time to time! It’s good to remain a kid at heart.
Many of those cowboy (and cowgirl) stars of the mid-Twentieth Century were also popular singers. Gene Autry, Roy Rodgers, Dale Evans, Tex Ritter, and Dorothy Page were just a few of the stars of the silver screen who also had successful recording careers. Something about a cowboy or cowgirl, sitting around a campfire or on horseback, singing and playing the guitar, appealed to a lot of people. Oddly enough, at this time of year, Gene Autry rides again.
Gene Autry not only performed, but also wrote, “Here Comes Santa Claus”. It’s such a holiday classic that no less than sixteen performers have recorded it over the years. If you’re like me, you probably listen to all those old favorites at this time of year and sing along with every word. I wonder how often you think about the words of this particular Christmas classic, though. Even Wikipedia points out something unique about the song. “Autry's lyrics combined two veins of the Christmas tradition, the mythology of Santa Claus and the Christian origin of the holiday.” You can look up the lyrics (or listen the next time it’s on the radio) and chuckle at all of the odd blends of Santa and Jesus. My favorite is the ending, “So let’s give thanks to the Lord above, ‘cause Santa Claus comes tonight.” I don’t know about you, but that’s not the first thing I thank God for at Christmas time!
We probably shouldn’t be all that surprised by this intertwining of “mythology” and Christianity. It was common centuries ago and is still common today. The expression “best of both worlds” might apply. Like a smorgasbord dinner, you can pick and choose what you want. If someone isn’t knowledgeable about the Bible, it’s not too hard to blend in mythology, old wives’ tales, common misconceptions, and all sorts of popular opinions. It’s interesting to hear what ideas people embrace when they start out by saying, “My Jesus…” or “My God…” It’s important to remember, however, that God created man, not the other way around. Some of these ideas are fairly harmless, but some of them could be spiritually dangerous. Those are the ones we have to be aware of and avoid – like whose coming we should be celebrating at Christmas. It’s okay to have fun with the traditions and mythology of Christmas, as along as we never lose our focus on the real Christmas.
Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.