Steve Bell writes this in his Pilgrim Year,”From his beginnings as the beloved Bishop of Myra and champion of the poor in the early 4th century, to the Coca-Cola endorsing, ruddy faced, red elf of the 21st century, Nicholas’ fame has been appropriated to inspire sincere empathy in some, and excessive consumption in others. In the 4th century, he was a living icon of Christ Himself. In modern times, he has almost become the high priest of a consumer cult which drives much of Western society.
Actually, little information is known about the man himself. The legends surrounding him are many and often fantastical, but the basic facts suggest that he was renowned for secret gift-giving, and that he had an uncommon compassion for children in an age when childhood was often grim.
One of the legends that I connect powerfully and personally with, tells of a poor man with three daughters. Without a proper dowry, the daughters were destined for a desperate future sold into slavery as prostitutes. Wanting to shield the family from the embarrassment of public charity, Nicholas slipped three bags of gold into their house under the cover of night, effectively saving the three young women from a life of bondage in the sex trade….
Historian, Adam English, remarks that it’s a surprising legend to come out of an era that had little concern for vulnerable people, especially women, which gives some historical plausibility to the legend.
In our own day, Christians are once again taking up the fight against poverty and slavery, especially as these things relate to the sex trade. It occurs to me that perhaps Saint Nicholas of Myra might be a worthy spiritual patron of such causes. He clearly saw the link between chronic poverty and the sex trade and acted selflessly to interrupt the devastating consequences of deprivation….
During Advent, those of us who claim the Christian story as our own, and who hope to reclaim the “true meaning of Christmas,” may want to redouble our efforts on behalf of the disenfranchised and vulnerable poor.”