In the late winter of 2003 I took a crew of Master’s Commission students on a ministry trip to Finland. We were helping to establish a Master’s Commission program in the city of Rovaniemi—a city in the far north of Finland—a city actually bordering the Arctic Circle.

Needless to say, it was quite cold in Rovaniemi, but beautiful beyond belief. We enjoyed seeing the Northern Lights in the sky after the short hours of sunlight, and ice fishing through a hole on a frozen river. Especially wonderful were the evening visits to typical Finnish saunas. After a few minutes in the blazing hot sauna, rolling around in the snow or taking a quick dip in 33 degree water (after a hole is cut in the ice covered lake) gives one’s heart a workout! Then the run back to the sauna leaves the body covered in frost, only to melt in the sauna once again. Riviting! The temperature was cold, but the hospitable Finnish people were as warm as their saunas!

While in Rovaniemi I was given the use of a small car. Driving in ice and snow in Finland was much different than driving in ice and snow in Alabama—probably because they do it half of their year and they’re good at it! One particular day I journeyed a short distance on a north bound highway, just so I could say I crossed the Arctic Circle. Sure enough, there was a marker on the side of the road reading, “Napapiiri” in Finnish, and “Arctic Circle” in English. Just to step across the line felt like a big thing.

Just across the Napapiiri was a famous tourist park called “Santa Claus Village.” It was actually a family friendly North Pole experience frequented by Finns, Swedes, Germans, Brits, and wealthy Americans. Everything was labeled in English since most Northern Europeans now understand English perfectly. Unfortunately, I arrived just after the village closed, but I was still able to walk right in like I owned the place. The very first door I opened led me into an enormous empty hallway spilling into a beautiful room adorned with all sorts of Christmas décor. At one end was a huge wooden throne surrounded by fragrant evergreens. It was obviously where Santa sat to greet the throngs of children who visited Santa Claus Village year-round.

I tiptoed around since I was the only person in sight. I didn’t want to make noise to draw attention to myself as I crept toward the enormous throne. Then, all of a sudden I heard a deep, kind voice echo in the huge room, “Hello.”

I spun around and there behind me stood a tall white bearded man in a deep red wool suit. He was at least 6’6” and wore reindeer hide boots, a black belt, and a red and white cap. My 47 year-old body was transfixed in front of the impressive fellow. And then, like a trembling 7 year-old, I somehow found a way to simply utter one word– one question:

“Santa?”

“Welcome to my house,” he responded, seeming to see that I was caught off guard by his powerful presence. I calmed myself and tried to think of an adult comment to make. So I decided to ask a question.

“Oh, so you speak English?”

“I speak every language,” Santa answered.

“Every language?” I responded with blind and total belief in what he just said.

“Not really,” he laughed. “I just speak Finnish, Swedish, German and English….and American since I spent a few years in the states.”

I finally relaxed and reached out for a handshake. We sat and talked for at least thirty minutes, exchanging life stories and common experiences. He had attended college and worked in North Carolina for several years before moving back to Finland to be closer to his family. He wanted to discuss with me the recent 9/11 terror attack on New York, and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked culture and politics and economics and sports and even religion. He commented on how important faith seemed to be in the lives of many Americans that he came to know. We were able to have a real heart to heart talk.

He even explained to me some things about Christmas tradition that really made sense.
For instance, in Lapland (which is a part of Finland) the early Laplanders had a tradition that on Christmas Eve a white bearded goat stained with red dye would find all the little children who had not been good and would spike them with his horns. He was called the “Joulupukki” (“Christmas Goat” or “Yuletide Goat”) the to the Laplanders, and it kept the children in line for a whole year—much like the threat of  “switches and lumps of coal in the stocking” motivate American children to be good. Eventually, the cruel “Christmas Goat” tradition merged with the “St. Nicholas” children’s gift-giving tradition, and became a man in a red suit and white beard will bring gifts to children who have been good. It makes a lot of sense.

Before I left I asked him why such a highly educated and successful guy would be working as a full-time Santa. His response fascinated me. He basically said that the only way he could find happiness was in making other people happy. So he left the rat race and moved to Finland to be Santa. “Besides,” he said, ” I look the part.”

I asked him if he ever regretted it, and he said, “Absolutely not.”

I’ll never forget the day I met the “real Santa Claus,” and we sat down at the Arctic Circle and talked about what’s really important in life.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:25

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4