The Santa myth is frequently used as a parenting tool that plays into the unfortunate reward/punishment approach to parenting. Weeks leading up to the holiday are often filled with threats of “I’ll tell Santa!” or “Don’t forget who is watching you!” These tactics, reinforced by the Santa lore, potentially lay the foundation for a problematic understanding of God
We can take the take the presence of mental illness and the mentally ill in our families and communities to heart without surrendering to despair. We can be aware without living with perpetual suspicion. We can incarnate understanding rather than perpetuating fear.
Fear currently is a common thread that runs through our present culture. It is a tactic that is used to paralyze the mind and spirit of the poor as well as the privileged.
The song of Zephaniah is yet another reflection of how the season of Advent helps us live in the “now” and the “not yet.”