In the hustle and bustle of Xmas , the rush to the Nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ it is quite easy to overlook one salient point from the Christmas story. Luke 2: 7 states thus, “And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn”.
This much-repeated quoted piece of Scripture does not say that “there is no room in the inn”. Instead, it emphasized, “there was no room for them” in the inn.
It is very easy to assume that there were no rooms available because the town was crowded with multitudes of citizens returning to their own city to be taxed.
However, as any experienced traveller can vouch, even in large cities during special events, global conferences , business seminars there is always a room. For the right connection, for the right person, for the right price– there is always a room for them in the inn.
If Joseph and his wife Mary were wealthy, it is highly probable that there would have been room for them. Were they people of prominence or politically powerful, there would have been room for them.
Now as the Christian world approaches Christmas, we must take a moment to carefully examine our roles as innkeepers.
Who will make room for the “them” people in the community? Some of the “for them” crowds are very easy to identify, including the homeless, lawless and drug addicted.
Other ” for them” souls are seen in the struggling poor, the hungry, the mendicant, the refugee or the infant in need of a foster parent or an adoptive family. Additionally, in the hustle and bustle of daily life it is common to brush and rush past “for them” people who silently suffer with loneliness, illness, depression, aggression or mental disorders.
Creating physical place or an emotional space for the less fortunate and for those on the outside looking in requires humility, gratitude and compassion. These three attributes are actually gifts –gifts not typically promoted in social media feeds or self-promoting selfies.
The lowliness and self-abnegation to bow in unpretentious prayer, the gratitude to look up in praise and the compassion to look around in order to uplift others represents not only the path to making room for those in need but also exposes the passageway to discovering the “better angels of our nature.”
As the season continues to unfold and we sing the familiar Christmas hymn “Joy to the World” it would be most sagacious to pay careful attention to the echo of the refrain, “LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM.” There are many around us who are praying and hoping that there is room for them in our inns, in our homes, in our lives and in our communities.
Remember also: LET THE REASON FOR THE SEASON BE VISIBLE IN ALL YOU DO.
Happy Holidays to All.
Aleuta continua— The struggle continues.
