It has been about a month now since I began the process of growing a beard. Some people will look and try not to notice or say anything. Others will comment and ask what it is all about.

To those who have asked, I have responded in the same way, "I am growing this for Christmas." When I have said this, there has been an almost 100 percent response, "So you are going to be Santa Claus, or Chris Kringle this year."

The fact is I am trying to decide between a couple of different options for the Advent Season this year. If I were to choose the one option I need a beard. I am not into the stick on kind, so if I am to have a beard I need to start early enough for it to happen. I am not sure I will survive the itchy face long enough to get there and that may help in the decision as to what theme will be used in the end.

As I thought about the response of people to the beard and its association to Santa Clause I began to wonder why more people think of the man in the red suit than of the Eternal Son of God who chose to come and dwell amongst us when the word Christmas is mentioned.

There are many possible answers, but perhaps it can be distilled down to the fact that the Santa Claus crowd has and continues to be better at marketing than the Church.

Think about it. Which group is first out of the gate in promoting their vision of the Christmas season? Most stores will start putting up their decorations and promoting their Christmas sales in only a few weeks. The Church will start promoting Christmas once the Advent Season begins.

The Church comes out of the starting block at least a month after the secular world.

Santa Claus will be given top billing by the media. There will be public parades and events focused and given over to the promotion of Santa in communities all over the country, but very little will be said about the Son of God, whose birth we celebrate. The big advertising dollars are all on Santa not on Christ.

There is not much that Christians can do about what is spent promoting Santa, but there is certainly much that could and should be done by Christ's followers in getting the word out about the real reason for the season. Luke 2:16-18 tells us about the shepherds, "So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. {17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, {18} and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." These shepherd were not afraid to get the word out about Jesus and neither should we.

Why wait? Begin now to share the good news so that people will know there is more to Christmas than Santa Claus.