Let’s allow ourselves the joy and blessing of a Christmas imaginative journey. Let your thoughts wander back to Bethlehem. As depicted in Luke 2:1-14, we’re transported to that small town where the descendants of King David were called to register, due to the Roman Empire’s census. Among the visitors was a young couple, pulling in late due to Mary’s slow pace. After all, she was bearing her first child.
Despite a clear ‘NO VACANCY’ sign, someone knocks at the inn’s door as the sky falls into dusk. It’s none other than Joseph, with weary eyes and a donkey heavy with their belongings, the silhouette of his expectant wife visible behind him. A tired innkeeper, with a sigh of frustration, all but barks, “Did you miss the ‘No Vacancy’ sign?” His words, stern yet tinged with regret, cut through the night, “There’s no room for you here tonight!”
Despite his vexation, the innkeeper’s heart stirred with empathy. He pondered, wondered, and then struck upon a possible solution amid the chaos of humanity and livestock. Maybe, just maybe, he could offer them his family’s stable at the edge of the town. It was simple but clean, roofed and straw-filled, offering some much-needed warmth and privacy. The hustle and bustle of the census was far away. Perhaps, this young couple could find some reprieve there, some well-deserved rest at the edge of town.
What a different world it is today compared to the one which welcomed the Christ Child. If their journey was to Simcoe or another Ontario town on a winter’s night, where might they have sought shelter? Perhaps Joseph could have used his smartphone to Google “Bethlehem,” and maybe they could have sought refuge in Wellington Park or found a pile of straw in the open building at the Fairgrounds. What about the emergency shelter rooms that Indwell keeps ready for a crisis at Hambleton Hall?
Let’s redirect our hearts to the original story. Joseph, what consumed your thoughts, amid all this chaos? As we navigate our own tumult in these trying times, we too aim to celebrate a memorable Christmas in our bustling Bethlehem-like towns of Southern Ontario, amid the challenges we encounter. What hopes, fears, and dreams do we harbour as we contend with our own uncertainty this Christmas?
We can look to Mary’s journey as a guide. Her adventure was one of hope despite fears, peace in the face of conflict, joy in times of sorrow, and love amid hatred. Her salvation, in the form of a newborn, offered a world teetering on despair a fresh lease on innocence.
In the spirit of Christmas, let’s think of all the unpredictable ways God can use us to bring hope, peace, joy, and love to the world. And so, reflect again and marvel at the surprises that God may weave into your life to bless this world.
