Mariner’s town has about six inches of snow on the ground and single digit temperatures. Everything is motionless under a coat of icy snow. Churches were cancelled, not even driveways are cleared of the latest snow. To stand on the front porch is a quiet and still – and cold –  experience! It is one of mariner’s daily jobs to get the mail from the PO box. But he told his wife his delivery service was closed, too.

Mariner has a wandering mind, always conjuring life and history in general. He is almost old enough to have met Jesus in person but not quite. He always wanted to ask Jesus about the December Christmas tree we use to celebrate his September birthday. I doubt fir and spruce trees even exist on the Arabian Peninsula.

Mariner acknowledges that the Christmas theme actually started with Santa Claus, a Christian bishop who lived around 300 AD in Turkey. He had a hobby of secretly giving gifts to the poor and needy. No, maybe mariner has it backwards – did Saint Nicholas live at the North Pole? No matter, whichever it was they had to live at the North Pole to find flying reindeer.

It is a distraction that Santa Clause has to break into homes by way of the chimney. That method certainly is a fire hazard.  Do children without chimneys just miss out? Maybe he knocks on the door like UPS and scampers back to the reindeer.

Mariner has a grandchild about five or so who is confused when told Santa Clause is real but only if you believe so. If not, Santa doesn’t exist. But one can’t deny the plethora of celebratory activities throughout society.

So if he ever sees Jesus, he will ask him what he thinks about the December Christmas tree and Santa Claus.

Ancient Mariner