Surprised By Santa

I hold a prejudice against Santa movies.  What does Santa have to do with Christmas, anyway?  So, when my family suggested The Santa Clause 2 for our Friday night movie recently, I was not in favor.  We had watched it several years ago.  My recollection distilled down to a middle-aged Tim Allen chasing a younger woman so he could marry and keep being Santa (the 2nd 'Santa Clause').  The rest of the family insisted it was really cute.  Cuteness is oozing out of Miracle on 34th Street, another 'Santa' movie that still goes against my grain.  Cuteness on its own does not sway me.  However, I succumbed on the pretext that I was tired and would probably sleep through it.  But a strange thing happened on the way to dream-land.  I began to see things in The Santa Clause 2 that I had either forgotten or not noticed the first time.

Such as a god-like figure (for what else is Santa?) coming to earth to find a bride to live forever with him in an eternal city of happiness (Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelations 19:6-9).  What about that North Pole?  A magical place where immortal creatures live a happy, purposeful existence mainly concerned with obedience to their Master and blessing humanity (Hebrews 1:14).  

We are shown an 'anti-Santa' seeking to overthrow the dominion of the real Santa, who wants everyone to get what they deserve -- a lump of coal -- while the true Santa 'cuts kids a little slack this time of year'.  A picture of grace (Psalm 51).  

Then there is the school principle, soon to be the future Mrs. Claus.  The offspring of two fallen parents (Genesis 3, Psalm 27:10), left with a hardened heart.  Through a supernatural demonstration of generosity to a crowd of miserable people, Santa breaks through the hardness  (Psalm 34:18, Ezekial 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17).  

Obviously, the analogies fall flat at some point.  The notion that Christmas would not exist without Santa Claus delivering toys is annoying.  Tim Allen still comes across as lecherous.  Yet, in spite of a very different intent, the yearning for an eternal happily ever after, for redemption from the hurts of a fallen past shines through in The Santa Clause 2.  Though rationality tries to squish it out of us, this instinctive desire for a transcendent reality is an essential part of what it means to be human, to be a creation made in the Divine Image.

And it shows up in the most unlikely places.