On the Naughty List

Whether naughty or nice, all are warmly welcome to the Imperial Christians’ Carol Service on December 6th in Holy Trinity with All Saints Church at 6PM.

“You better watch out. You better not cry. Better not pout, I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list, checking it twice. He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!”

As juvenile as a Naughty List may seem, the notion of an annual register for badly behaved children is really quite clever. It’s a perfect ploy parents use to persuade their children to make their beds, put their dirty clothes in the wash basket and stop thumping their siblings. I remember my parents telling me to be good otherwise Santa would put me on the Naughty List. Since I didn’t want to receive coal in my stocking, I dutifully obeyed them and for at least one month before the 25th I was relatively better behaved… again, relatively. Thankfully I always made it on the Nice List, and no coal was ever found in my stocking.

Looking back at those childhood Christmases, I see that the reward I believed was due to my good actions was actually because of my parents’ love for me. My slightly better behavior had little impact on the presents I received. Those were thanks to my mother and father, who wanted to see the joy on my face when I unwrapped my purple Game Boy or Bratz doll. They made sure that my fear of being on the Naughty List was only ever a fear because they cared about me.

As I’ve grown older, the gifts matter less but the appreciation for the affection they represent has increased, especially in light of Christmas’ history. Over 2000 years ago, God sent his only begotten son to permanently remove our names from a much more eternal ‘Naughty List’. Swaddled in rags and delivered into this world from a virgin mother, this Son came to take on the sins of people like you and me, and to reconcile us with God. Though he was but a babe then, his life was going to be one of sinlessness and selfless love towards all; his purpose, to make God’s glory known through the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Just as I didn’t earn the presents my parents gave me, so we don’t deserve this much more valuable gift of life, but it is still given to us from a heavenly father who loves his children much more than we can fathom. Although as a child I only believed myself to be on Santa’s Naughty List, as humans, we are on a ‘Naughty List’, for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Yet, God, in his infinite love, offers us the opportunity of redemption through the birth, death and resurrection of his only begotten Son. At Christmas time, the significance of Jesus’ birth often becomes a blip in the holiday season. Between the second viewing of Love Actually and the fight for the piece of Christmas cake with the most marzipan on top, the true meaning of Christmas is lost.

To remember God’s love and to celebrate the birth of Christ, the Imperial Christian groups on campus are welcoming all students, believers or not, to the Christmas Carol Service. The service will be taking place on Friday December 6th, 6PM at Holy Trinity with All Saints Church on Prince Consort Road (next to Beit Halls). After the service, there will be mince pies, refreshments, and a chance to mingle. Everyone is invited, from the nicest to the naughtiest.