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Dialogue for Visit with Saint Nick
December 17, 2017 Springfield UU Church
Cast of Characters
Narrator: Rev. MellenKennedy
Saint Nicolas: Jeff Taft-Dick
M: Saint Nicolas, thank You so much for visiting with us this eve. Great to have You here!
SN: My pleasure to be here, Rev. Mellen.
M: Saint Nicolas, we know some about You, mostly about your charity work with children. Tell us more about Yourself if You would. I understand that You are from Turkey, and You bring children Christmas presents. How did You get started in this charity work, Saint Nicolas?
SN: Well, Rev. Mellen, back about seventeen hundred years ago, I was a young man and I got into this new religion, followers of Jesus. Jesus had died just a couple of hundred years before I was born. So, it was a new thing. Jesus taught us we should love our neighbors as ourselves, we should help people out, even help strangers. In the city of Patara where I lived, there were three girls who were orphans and in trouble. I heard about their situations and tossed some money down their chimney as an anonymous gift to help them out. Then I realized how many more kids needed help and well… I’ve been at it ever since. Back then I used to walk around Patara giving gifts, now since I deliver worldwide, I use a sleigh and reindeer.
M: That is admirable work You’re doing, helping children, giving them gifts, Saint Nicolas. But wait a second, did You say seventeen hundred years ago?
SN: Yes, Rev. Mellen, I was born about seventeen hundred year ago in what you now call Turkey. There’s an image of me in the program from when I was young.
[ASIDE by MELLEN: In an alternate Universe, St. Nick performed many miracles during his lifetime. He died on December 6 in the year 343. Many years later his body was taken and buried in Rome at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. And in 1950, a group of scientists were allowed to examine his remains. From the measurements and records of his bones, scientist made a reconstructed a facial image of him. That’s what You see in the program. From the remains, they could tell that St. Nicolas was 5’ 6”, was a dark skinned Anatolian and had a very broken nose. That was in that alternate universe. In this alternate universe, Saint Nicolas lives on. So back to the present and to the ever-living Saint Nicolas.]
M: Saint Nicolas, seventeen hundred! You’re a lot older than we thought! Wow. And I understand that You are Anatolian.
SN: Yes, you can see that when I was young, I had dark skin. I’ve faded over 1,700 years.
M: So, Saint Nicolas…
SN: (interrupting) Uhh, do me a favor, Rev. Mellen, just call me Nick. I don’t think of myself as a saint. I was just an ordinary guy doing the decent thing, helping kids in need. The guys in the pub call me Nick and they give me a hard time over the saint thing. Let’s just stick with Nick.
M: Okay, Nick. And You can just call me Mellen. So, Nick, from the image in the program, it looks like you broke your nose.
SN: I had a kind of rowdy youth. The guys at the pub have a story or two.
M: Your nose doesn’t look broken now though?
SN: No I had it fixed. For the charity work with kids, they thought I should clean up my image a bit.
M: And I understand that besides the Christmas Charity work, You actually have another occupation that we haven’t heard much about?
SN: That’s right, the Christmas gig is only a few months of the year. I was getting bored up at the north pole in the slow season. And I really like to help out, to make a difference in the world. So, I got another job for the rest of the year working for the World Food Program.
M: No, Nick, I never heard that. Tell us about the World Food Program.
SN: I visit countries where people are having a hard time, don’t have enough food. I help them get food. (Whatever You want to say, Jeff. Let’s keep it short).
M: And I understand that You just visited Syria and also refugee camps in Turkey on your way here last night and that You’re heading back to Turkey when Christmas is over.
SN: Yes. There are lots of people in Syria who are refugees, they’ve left their homes because of the war, they are living in camps, they don’t have food. We’re working very hard with the World Food Program to talk care of them. 13 million people need help. Half of them are children.
M: Nick, I can’t get my head around that! 13 million people! Half of them children!!
SN: Think of it this way, Mellen. The population of Syrian and of the State of NY are roughly the same, about 20 million people. So, image if more then half of the people of NY State were homeless and then image that it was so bad that about half of the homeless New Yorkers decided to leave. Imagine that 5 million New Yorkers started coming across the border into Vermont, Quebec, Pennsylvania. Some of them would have to get across Lake Champlain. And they just showed up here in Vermont. What would Vermonters do? [Note: For this analogy comparing Syria and the State of NY, I want to thank VPR reporter, Nina Keck. I heard her speak at a program about her investigative journalism trip to the Syrian refugee camps.]
M: We’d do what we always do, we’d help.
SN: Well that’s what’s happening in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, and countries in Europe, too.
M: Sounds really difficult. What do the refugees need?
SN: Refugees need housing, medical care, clothing, water, hospitals, schools, household supplies. Everything. They left everything behind. There is almost no gardening, farming or food production. So, of course they need food.
M: Well we have some food here, Nick, and You have your sleigh, right? Would You be willing to take some food to the Syrian refugees from us?
SN: Food is heavy to carry and it’s better if people choose the kind of food they want to eat. So, if You want to help the Syrian children and families, the best way is to give money to the World Food Program.
M: Ok, let’s collect money. Then the WFP gives the refugees money for food?
SN: No, we give them vouchers which are like money. That way they can buy their food directly from the local groceries. That helps the local businesses thrive and helps the refugees become part of the local economy. (Jeff, however You want to explain this very briefly in kid language).
M: Sounds like a great idea, Nick. You have figured out how to really help these kid and families in the refugee camps. Let’s take up the collection. Folks, if You want to write a check, (INSERT DETAILS of HOW TO DONATE)… The insert in the program has more info about Syria. If You would prefer to send a check directly, it has the details of where to send it.
[Do the collection]
M: We’re really glad that You visited tonight, Nick, and told us about Syria and Turkey where You’re from. When You go back to Turkey, please give the refugees vouchers for food with this money and please tell the refugees that we care, we haven’t forgotten, we’re trying to help.
SN: My pleasure to serve, Mellen. Anything to help the kids and families. You know me.
M: I have a few questions if You don’t mind.
SN: Go right ahead.
M: So, what’s with the red?
SN: Oh that. I told You I was in a group of followers of Jesus back in Patara when I was young. Well, I was a leader of the Christian group. The leader was called the bishop and it was just a custom for bishop to wear red.
M: Oh, so You were a Christian bishop seventeen hundred years ago in Turkey when the followers of Jesus were just a new, dinky little group. Nick, as You’ve probably heard, that newfangled religion You joined 1,700 years ago is now the largest religion in the world. It’s really grown!! Are You surprised?
SN: No, Mellen, I’m really not surprised. We got some things really right in following Jesus. Jesus said take care of the homeless, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the people in prison, the people who are vulnerable. Jesus said even to take care of strangers. Nothing is more important than taking care of the mothers and kids, (pointing toward the Nativity scene)!!! What could be more important! In addition to that, Jesus was often withdrew into the wilderness, gardens, the desert, the out of doors. He prayed and sought calm and inspiration in Nature. Most of his teaching took place outdoors. So, a religion that teaches connection with nature, respect for the natural world, that the natural world is alive (pointing to the tree) would of course grow and be popular. I’m not surprised that a religion that lives justice, ecology and caring would become the largest in the world. Makes sense.
M: Thanks for visiting, Nick. Merry Christmas to You and good will to all beings on Earth.