Christmas Eve                                       

No Room at the Inn

One of the most well-known parts of the nativity story is how difficult it was for Mary and Joseph to find a place to stay when they arrived in Bethlehem. Everyone was travelling for the census; all of the rooms were taken. They eventually found a place that would take them in, but they had to stay in the stable with the animals, because there wasn’t any room for them at the inn.” What a way for the Messiah to enter the world.

You would think that the Creator of All Things would maybe be born in a fancy hotel, maybe in the penthouse. Mary and Joseph would get strawberries and champagne, and fluffy bath robes, and Egyptian cotton sheets, while Jesus slept in a brand new thousand-dollar baby crib.

But, that’s not what happened. And, I wonder sometimes if this was all part of God’s plan. By coming into the world this way, God was making a bold statement: that God is on the side of the poor and the oppressed. By coming into the world this way, God was telling a story that would resonate with refugees and exiles, with the unsheltered and the needy. Throughout his ministry, Jesus told his followers to take care of the vulnerable and the downtrodden. He said, “Just as you did it to the least of these… you did it to me.” Jesus came into the world as a baby, born to parents who were forced to stay in a stable full of animals, because there wasn’t any room for them at the inn.

This part of the story makes me think of all of those people who don’t have a safe place to stay when the weather gets cold: our unsheltered neighbors. There are about 150 unsheltered people living in Lewis and Clark County, right now, and when the temperatures drop, they need a safe place to go where they can stay warm. God’s Love has stated that they will not be opening their doors as an emergency shelter this winter. Thankfully, it’s hasn’t gotten as cold as other years, but as we all know, that could change.

There are organizations in Helena like Good Samaritan and the United Way who can help to provide shelter in emergencies, but these aren’t long term solutions. And, when Jesus tells us to “take care of the least of these,” I pretty sure he didn’t mean shoving people into an emergency warming shelter with rows of cots in the hallways. We can do better than that. We have to do better than that.

There are people working in Helena to find a solution to this issue, and Plymouth Congregational Church is part of that. This is my fifth winter here, and I’ve learned how difficult and complicated this problem is, but I have seen that love is the foundation of this community. This is a community that cares about each other, we care about our neighbors, and we watch out for each other. I know that we can work together to help our unsheltered neighbors to come inside, where they’ll be safe, where they won’t have to worry about where their next meal is going to come from. Where they can have hope for a future, and live lives filled with joy, comradery, and dignity. Together, we have the resources and the know-how to do this, to do the work that Jesus calls us to do.

Christmas is when we celebrate Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love personified and being born into the world. God came down from the heavens to be with us, to teach us how to love each other, and to let us know how much God loves us. God is constantly showing us how love holds the world together. When we think about Christmas, we think about presents and decorations, being with friends and family, traditions and celebrations, happy times. But, we have to remember that for some people, for so many different reasons, Christmas is a difficult time. But, we have the power to make Christmas better for everyone.

So, here is my Christmas blessing for you. May you be surrounded by the love of family and friends, and may this inspire you to work so that others may know that love. May your community lift you up with support and understanding, and may that inspire you to work so that communities everywhere can support and care for all of their members and seek to understand everyone’s needs. May the spirit of Christmas come alive in your hearts, and fill you with warmth and light, as we work together to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. And above all, may you know the love of your Divine Creator. You are not an accident. God created you with intention, and the world needs you. You are God’s hands and feet, and it is through you that God brings hope and peace and love and joy to all people, everywhere. You are a gift and a blessing to the world. Merry Christmas. Amen.

~ Rev. Charles Wei