Making Room for Love
Christmas Eve
Reflection By Scott Stoner
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
- Luke 2:7
Amy Cook’s reflection last Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, was an inspiring culmination of everything we have been learning about practicing generosity with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. As she so beautifully described in her reflection on Elizabeth’s response to her cousin, Mary, the practice of generosity involves an intentional decision to make space for others and for God.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are times when we are often filled with many emotions. If we are not mindful, it is easy to make these days all about us and our emotional needs. Amy’s reflection reminds us that there is a different choice we can make. We can be more like Elizabeth, who made it her priority to create space for Mary’s emotions and to make room for Mary to share her news.
In addition to creating space for others today and tomorrow, it is also important for us to remember to pause and create space to give thanks for God’s generosity. As we hear the Christmas story where there was no room in the inn for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, we are reminded to make room in our own hearts and schedules for prayer and worship this evening and/or tomorrow. As we make room, we help create the space to receive God’s gift of the birth of Jesus into our lives.
The irony of the Christmas story is that while there was no room in the inn, there was room in the hearts of humble shepherds, wise men, and others who recognized the significance of this birth. The question for us is not whether we have perfect circumstances, but whether we have room in our hearts for love. Making room for love requires intentional choices about how we organize our time, energy, and priorities—it engages our mind in service of our heart.
Make it Personal: How will you be intentional about creating space for the good news of others? How will you be deliberate about creating space for the good news of the birth of Christ? Today, consciously create space—in your schedule, in conversations, in your heart—for love to enter and be expressed.