Saints Alive!

                                              A Matter of Tradition
                                                    (565 words)

    James and Nicholas hadn’t always agreed.  It wasn’t that Nicholas disliked James; it was just that he really didn’t know him.  James was so wise and practical and the headstrong Nicholas, like many boys his age, reacted.  James was quite, quite definite in his views and quite immovable, while Nicholas, in his younger years at least, had his own particular outlook on life.

    Not many years had passed, however, when something changed all that.  I suppose one might call it a spiritual awakening.  Perhaps that’s what it was but for Nicholas, nothing would ever be the same again. It was as if he were seeing life through another’s eyes.  He was just a boy still, but deep within him had been birthed a growing awareness of life and the meaning of life and the only thing that mattered was that he make his life count for something.  As the desire grew, he began to see James in a whole new light and he gained a new respect for the things he believed and taught.  Then, as Nicholas grew older, he actually learned to love James, totally embracing his teachings as a way of life; so much so, in fact that he became something of a legend in his own time.

    James had no idea of the influence he generated.  He wasn’t even aware of Nicholas.  He had lived his life and had his say and his teachings had been recorded for posterity.  Nicholas was just one of the many who had benefited from them.  It is not even known how the lad came by them, but it was James’ practical approach to life that appealed so much to the young Nicholas.

    “Better spelt than tellt”; “Practice what you preach”; “Don’t just say it, do it” – simple adages that expressed in simple terms the profound truths James proclaimed, truths that Nicholas applied to his own life and in so doing, endeared himself to all who knew him.  His deeds of kindness, his sacrificial life and his compassion for the needy brought him fame both near and far, and the impact of James teachings were not in vain, it seemed.

    That was a long time ago.  Both men have passed on now, each to his own eternal reward but they both have their place in history, and history has its own traditions regarding them.  It is believed that James met a violent death at the hands of those who opposed him, while the influence of Nicholas’ life spread far beyond the realms of his own narrow world and he gained a recognition that few have ever known.

    Not surprisingly, he and James were both religious men but their paths never crossed, at least not in this life.  They both became men of worldwide renown, and their fame lives on today in many ways.  One finds the name of James throughout the world.  Churches, buildings, cities, suburbs have been named after him.  He was of course, Saint James, the biblical writer, believed to be the brother of Jesus Christ; and the boy Nicholas, well, according to tradition, he became the bishop of the small town of Myra in Turkey.  That was in the fourth century A.D.  Legend tells us the he too became a saint.  Today, of course, his name is known everywhere, changed slightly perhaps, but throughout the world, acclaimed as Santa Claus.