Believing is Seeing – Rudolph and the Spirit of Christmas

The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is well known. Rudolph “had a very shiny nose … and all of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names.” The attitude against him went to the point that “they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.” In other words, the attitude toward Rudolph was that he had something different about him, so therefore he was a potato. This is a destructive attitude.

How many of us can identify with Rudolph? We are different from the “regular crowd,” or at least from the voices that purport to speak on behalf of the masses. Or, there is something about us that limits us in some way. It is easy to think of ourselves as a potato, that is, that there is something wrong with who we are. Or, we are exposed to others who relate with us as if there is something wrong with who we are because we are different. That “shiny nose” becomes, if we let it, the definition of who we are, and we are … a potato!

Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses. For example, even the sports superstars, despite their amazing athleticism, have parts of their game that is weak. The trick is to cater to your strengths and not be overwhelmed by your weakness. If you are in a destructive mindset, you are limited to interact in life on the basis of power. You may dwell on your weakness and believe you are a potato because of it; you are not able to accept what you are good at.

On the other hand, within the constructive mindset, you are free to accept your weakness, but to also accept what you are good at and thus to develop yourself along these lines. Rudolph believed what everyone thought about him, that his nose was a weakness, when it turned out to be a strength. Santa’s loving Christmas spirit introduced into the story of Rudolph’s life the constructive perspective.

Rudolph did not have to identify himself by his nose; rather he could identify himself with the acceptance that came from his relationship with Santa. Rudolph’s nose does not define him; rather he is a “person” who can do something special if he believes in himself. Believing is seeing. Through believing, Rudolph could see himself as somebody worthwhile. Santa respected Rudolph, and the rest is history …