Santa's Sweet Ride
This ornament series showcases Santa zooming around in different methods of transportation - all created out of sweet treats!
To me, this ornament series is all about two lines in the Our Father - "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We often pray that the Kingdom of the Father will be built on earth, so that earth and heaven will mirror each other. Based on the words of Jesus, we know that the Kingdom is something so wonderful and precious that it is worth leaving everything else behind to get there. We know that "the blind will see, the deaf will hear and the lame will walk," both physically and spiritually. The kingdom is and will be where we can "taste and see the goodness of the Lord." It is and will be where and when heaven and earth mirror each other, and even ultimately unite. Yet, how does that happen, exactly? This ornament series points to the answer - it will take place the way all good things take place, through the movement of God, working with his people. This ornament series depicts different types of movement, a metaphor for how God moves. Sometimes our prayers are answered swiftly, as though God's will is like a bullet train. Other times, answers to prayers can take years, or even generations to be heard. The ornaments below offer ample opportunity for reflection on how God works.
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2015
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #9 in series Although we often think of helicopters as the go-to vehicle for traffic monitoring and island hopping tours, helicopters have a greater muscle than that. They are the vehicle, par excellance, for a crisis. Just recall all the helicopter rescues in M*A*S*H, which roughly portrayed real wartime scenarios. Even recent movies like "San Andreas," not to mention the medical Air Lift helicopters called into accident scenes, remind us that helicopters can reach areas that no other vehicle can. Simply put, helicopters can access places that other vehicles cannot. And they can get there quickly, landing in very small spaces. These vehicles remind me of the type of divine movement that Fr. Ron Rolheiser talks about when explaining the line in the Creed "he descended into the dead." This line tells us, essentially, that there is no place that God cannot access. There is no place that is too far from him, or too closed to him. It's not so much that God is not behind those closed doors, ie. "with the dead," it's that we really don't know what takes place there. Those are the private conversations that are soul-to-God. There is always the hope of resurrection, even in the midst of death, so long as the injured is willing to clamber onto the life-saving vehicle. Or at the very least, allow himself to be placed there. |
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2014
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #8 in series Just like a Formula 1 race car zooms around and around the track, until suddenly the race is over, this ornament reminds us that God moves through the cycling of the years, growing and maturing us. We all know how each year zooms by. "Where did the year go?" we ask ourselves every December 31. This ornament encourages us to really grab hold of the turning of the years, to not just let them go by, but to anticipate the turns, the seasons, to prepare and help drive instead of just sitting in the passenger seat, getting dizzy. 
2013
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #7 in series The ornament for 2013 features a big, plodding cement mixer. If you aren't familiar with these trucks, you might be surprised to know that they have a very specific window of work time. Depending on the mix they are carrying, which is custom-made for each individual job, the trucks only have a few hours to get to the job and pour before the cement will start setting up inside the truck. If the cement is not poured before then, the truck is ruined and the job is delayed. I think this is such an obvious metaphor for both the spiritual and physical aspects of life. Because we are living, biological beings, we are not static. We are not like statues that do not change. On the contrary, we are in a continual state of cellular turnover and growth and development. Just as we change physically, we are also called to continual conversion - to a similar process in our spiritual lives. Yet, this is such a surprise to so many people. I frequently work with parents who are shocked that they have to grow spiritually. That the understanding of God they had as a second grader needs to grow and develop into a deeper and richer relationship, an adult relationship. And, like the cement mixer, God offers us these windows of opportunities to lay a new foundation with him. To strengthen what is good and firm and shore up what is weak and crumbling, or what has been eroded due to harsh environments. To build and be built into something new. And, like the concrete job, we can allow for a painless delivery so that we grow and develop, or we can put obstacles and traffic jams in the way, ruining both the opportunity and harming ourselves. As this series points out, we can participate in the movement of the Holy Spirit, or we can truncate it. 
2012
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #6 in series This ornament points to another important reality - the movement of God through our subconscious and unconscious states. In literature, the sea (where this submarine would be motoring) is a symbol of the subconscious, and the very deep waters are the unconscious. To dive into the sea is to be driven by forces that the characters are only dimly aware of, yet these forces seem to constantly dictate their behavior. Down deep in the depths are both the beginning and the end. On the one hand, we are meant to emerge from the sea, to leave it behind as we become more detailed and individual - more evolved. To emerge from the primordial chaos into a state of order. On the other hand, if we stay down there too long, the inevitable result is death. In fact, the Catechism directly states that the sea is a symbol of death. Simply put, we are not meant to live down in the muck and mire of the unformed unconscious, at the mercy of the great, primordial beasts who dwell in the depths. This was clearly shown in Scripture when Jesus tells Peter to be a "fisher of men" and to cast his net out again into the sea. The raising up of the net full of fishes is a symbol of the raising up of the Christian into the light, into the place of clarity, truth and understanding. For this reason, we have Baptism, where God journeys with us into the waters of death and raises us to new life. For this reason the Book of Revelation states that in the end times, "the sea will be no more." Not only will physical death be gone, but also every type of spiritual death as well. The good news is that we don't have to wait for physical death to occur before we can be free of spiritual death! If we can free ourselves, through God's help - as shown in this ornament- of spiritual death, then we have no need to fear physical death either. 
2011
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #5 in series Okay, so looking at this ornament I immediately think "Up, up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful baloooon. . ." Remember that old song? A happy song for a happy ornament. And this ornament reminds us of those peaceful days when we can drift and ponder and daydream, with our head up in the clouds. Daydreaming is actually a lot more necessary than you might think. It's like dreaming when you are awake. It can give inspiration and clarity, focus and remind us of our purpose from day to day. All these things are the sweet part of participating in God's work, in the movement of our minds and imagination. In the ancient world, the sky was seen as the abode of the gods, as the place that was above mere human existence. Remember that Jesus' ascension was a very real, physical, bodily occurance of him going up, up, up into the clouds until he disappeared from view. This would have been(and still is) interpreted as even more definitive proof of his divinity, since only the gods could dwell in the heavens. (Jesus had already shown his divinity in his power over death and the natural world, not to mention his resurrection.) So when Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them, he obviously means a place in the heavens, since that is where he went. So, by extension, that means our ultimate place is somewhere far above the life we live on earth - not just as a location, but as a state of being. We know that in the final days, we will be not so much physically above, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually above the life we lead now, when heaven and earth are as one. And that's really something worth daydreaming about. 
2010
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #4 in series The 2010 ornament features an iconic representation of a locomotive. This type of engine has long since "gone the way of the dodo," but it nevertheless remains a part of our popular imagination. The only time steam engines are seen puffing their way through the countryside today is in Thomas the Tank books, or in specialty "remember when" train rides. So why are we still so fascinated with steam engines? Because they represent to us two things: a time of wide open possibilities AND the ability to actually accomplish many of those possibilities. The words from Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical "Starlight Express" fit perfectly - "Who, hoo, who, hoo, Nobody can do it like a Steam can." When the USA was young, (or at least younger, since it is still a young country comparatively speaking) the railroad was a fairly safe, strong, and reliable way to move about. The building of the transcontinental railroad represented the taming of the great open spaces, the great frontier of the west was no more. A person could go "out west" and since goods could travel on the railroad, towns and cities could develop and be supported. As we age, these kinds of promptings become important. Do we still have the strength and faith to go "out there," into the wilderness? Will we be supported? Can we still grow and develop in new areas? We aren't so sure. Iconic symbols like Santa chugging in a steam engine, with his arms open wide, inviting us in, can remind us that the Holy Spirit is ever young, ever strong and ever faithful. Maybe we can keep following the track into new places, after all. Or at least for another day. 
2009
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #3 in series This is one of the most popular of the Santa's Sweet Ride series, as you can tell by the resale price on the secondary market. (Hallmark does not sell ornaments from previous years, but you can still find many ornaments through companies that sell collectibles.) And it's no wonder that this ornament is so popular. It doesn't look static at all - you can just imagine yourself on this boat, feel the wind whipping through your hair, hear the buzz of the speed boat engine. There's even a wee fish leaping out of the water! This is a wonderfully creative expression of movement, hence the corresponding price. This ornament is all about action. It reminds us that there are times when God works very quickly in our lives, when things all of a sudden fall into place in a matter of days. This is how, of course, we would like all our prayers to be answered. But we need to remember that one of the reasons that a speedboat can be so speedy is that all of the snags and obstacles in its path have been removed. Mark Twain writes about this phenomenon in his memoir Life On the Mississippi. For many years, steamboat pilots had to inch through perilous waters, especially if they were following a storm or flooding. If they missed a log, they could blow up the boat and everyone on it. This was known to happen. But eventually, a system of dredging the river was developed. Special government boats patrolled up and down the Mississippi, pulling out all obstacles and items that could harm the river travelers. After this had been in place a few years, the river was so clean that the steamers could fairly fly down the hundreds of miles. Certainly the same holds true for us. If things aren't happening as fast as we would like, it might serve us well to wonder what is down there in the water, and how can we pull it out? 
2008
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #2 in series This ornament shows Santa zooming around the sky in a plane, delivering gifts and treats to those below. Like the ornament for 2011, a Hot Air Balloon, the location for this ornament references the sky - the place high above us. In the ancient world, the sky was inaccessible to humans. This was one reason why birds were considered to be messengers of the gods, since they could fly up into the clouds, apparently delivering messages. Its also why we see such an emphasis on the use of incense and "burnt offerings" in the Old Testament, as smell was another thing that could ascend as an offering. So this ornament shows the reaction we hope for when God hears our prayers, when our pleas and supplications ascend to where we cannot see and cannot access in the same way as places down here on Middle Earth. God is moved into action, action that is swift, like a jet plane, and decisive, delivering what we need, when and where we need it. Somewhat like an air drop to war torn refugees.Unlike the 2011 Hot Air Balloon, this ornament does not inspire us to lofty thoughts, but rather it invites us to keep offering supplication, to continue believing through faith that someone who loves us will hear and be moved to help us. 
2007
Ornament Details Artist: Tammy Haddix #1 in series The first thing to mention about this ornament is that it's the very first ornament in the series. It's the one that started it all. The second thing to mention is that this ornament is still available, and for a reasonable price. That's unusual for a long running ornament series, especially a series as popular as Santa's Sweet Ride. This first ornament then, is really the start of the idea of visually representing divine movement. As the years progressed, this idea was refined and became more detailed. In this first ornament, we see a basic method of transportation - a car resembling the VW bug. In our times, cars in general are the iconic symbol of movement. They get you from point A to point B. You get in and they move you. This car is not particularly flashy or cheap. It just is. It's non-threatening and non-intimidating. This is the kind of car that one can easily imagine going on daily trips to the store, to work, etc. It represents the small, ordinary movements of grace in everyday life, which are largely unseen and unnoticed. In "theology speak," these daily graces are called "ordinary consolation." Basically, ordinary consolation is what we need to get out of bed everyday. Its the underlying belief that there is hope. Ordinary consolation lies right at the threshold of the conscious and subconscious. It's our dimly felt awareness of the presence of God, that is nevertheless always part of what we operate on. We really hardly notice it, until its not there. Its important to realize that ordinary consolation, like the VW bug, comes from something apart from us. For example, the car moves us, but we are not the car. We participate in the movement of the car, even though for the most part we hardly notice the car, even when we are steering it. (When was the last time you got into your car and really noticed everything about it and the journey?) Yet we very quickly notice if the car is not there, and immediately feel panicked, overwhelmed, stuck, and scared. Ordinary consolation operates in the psyche in much the same way as a simple car. It gives us the confidence to leave the house, with the basic expectation of arriving at our work, store, school - destination. Of performing the normal operations and duties of our days. And once we are aware of it, ordinary consolation also forms the base of a grateful life, as we become more aware of everything in our lives as a gift, much like the gifts tucked behind Santa's back in the ornament. |
Photo used under Creative Commons from santafeegret
