Sermons
"The Innkeeper to a Late Arrival"
One more family! Just what I need!
Please don’t get me wrong—I welcome days
When we are full and things (for once) are good.
Still, it means hungry mouths to feed,
Donkeys and baggage getting in the way,
Finding places you can stow your gear,
Cramming people into every room,
Then dealing with you travelers and your moods
When you are tired and are very near
Exhaustion. Every mop and every broom
Is out of place, and every cleaning maid
Has disappeared and every stableboy
Is lazy. I have to think of the regulars.
There are business travelers who’ve stayed
Here every trip through town and get annoyed
When there is not a place for them to sleep.
There are Romans who have gold to spend and here
Is where I wish that they would spend it. Think
What you will of them, I’d rather keep
Their wages in our local pockets. We’re
Already taxed enough. And, by the way,
That’s what this crowd is all about: the tax
The emperor can get the provinces
To kick in. When rooms are full, that pays
The money Herod and his friends extract
From folks like me, and, yes, I am relieved
That this year I will have enough to pay
The Romans. Even so, it puts a strain on folks
Who have to put the money out. I see
You coming into Bethlehem. You stay
Just long enough to be enrolled, then leave
As quickly as you can. Meanwhile,
It’s crowded as it gets at Passover
When inns like mine always receive
The overflow of pilgrims who can’t pile
Another person into rented space
Near the Temple in Jerusalem.
For that we’re ready. We can get prepared.
This time we didn’t have a trace
Of warning to prepare ourselves for them.
Then you get these hardship cases like
This pregnant woman ready to give birth.
You’d think there might be an exception made
For someone who can’t make this kind of hike
Just to be counted. Is it really worth
The danger to her health, or to the kid?
The best that I could do was find a spot
Out in the back. At least the place was warm
And dry and safe. I tried, I really did.
Sometimes you have to go with what you’ve got.
It wasn’t great, I will admit, but when
I saw the baby all wrapped up, asleep,
I couldn’t help but feel – and this is odd –
Like he had traveled even farther than
His parents. I’m glad I took them in, at least.
Listen, I had better go. There’s still
A lot of work to do. Next time you come
To Bethlehem, when there is not this rush,
Come back again to see us. Then we will
Be better set to give you a good room.
Good night.