“There was no room in the Inn”. Those words spoken some two thousand years ago have gained for me in this season of Christmas a new relevancy I have never experienced before.

Because of a teenage mother and her small daughter I was brought face to face with just how serious a problem of homelessness here in our midsized middle western community. Equally unpleasant is the undeniable fact that both Scrooge and the Inn keeper are also in residence here.

Its easy to disassociate ourselves from any thing that might jolt us out of our comfort zone and make demands on our resources.

Oh there are numerous excuses, Ive used them myself. “Let the system take care of it thats why we pay taxes”, “Charity begins at home”, “People reap what they sow”, “Those kind of people need to take responsibility for their poor choices”.

Few of us admit that but for the grace of God we might also find ourselves in a similar place. I recall the written words “What so ever you do to the least of my brothers you do to me”.

To live by those words is painful. Some fear it could also be dangerous some say its enabling.

But there are a few who believe it is a God given gift to serve those less fortunate.

I have no right to expect others to do what I myself am reluctant to do and yet come Christmas Eve should a stranger knock on my door will I be brave enough to offer to share what I have with them or will I simply direct them to the nearest homeless shelter knowing full well that they may be told “There is no room at the Inn”.