Reflections from the Stable

a Christmas Eve story

Roger Lynn

December 24, 2017

(click here for the audio for this story)

(click here for the video for the whole service - the story begins at about 37:15)

My name is Jacob. I am old now, but once upon a time when I was young my family lived in the village of Bethlehem. My father ran the local inn and I often helped out, especially when things got busy. One of my jobs was working in the stable out behind the barn. I swept out the stalls and made sure there was fresh hay in the manger. 

It was a long time ago, but there was one night that I will remember for the rest of my life. The inn was as busy as I had ever seen it. I was young and didn’t really understand why it was so busy, but I later learned that the Roman emperor had made a law which required everyone to return to their hometown for a census. It still seems like a crazy sort of law, but apparently when you are the emperor you get to do crazy things. Anyway, what it meant for Bethlehem was chaos. There were people everywhere. I guess it was fun in its own way – sort of like a giant family reunion. But Bethlehem is not a big place, and there wasn’t really enough room for everyone. My father’s inn was completely swamped. Every room was taken. People were sleeping on tables and in the courtyard. They were everywhere. I remember my father running around trying to keep everyone happy, which only seemed to work part of the time. And finally he just threw up his hands and said, “That’s it! We’re full! There is absolutely no way we can take any more guests!” 

And then it happened. The part of the day that I will remember forever. A young couple showed up. It was late in the day. They had obviously been traveling for awhile and they needed a place to stay. My father told them that the inn was full. There was no more room. But he was a kind man, and there was no way he was going to turn them away. You see, the woman was pregnant. Indeed, she was very pregnant. She was young and she was exhausted beyond description. Even as a child I could see that much. And so it was that my father decided they could spend the night in the stable. It wasn’t much, but it was clean (thanks to my efforts) and it was out of the wind. He told me to go find a couple of blankets and to make sure there was extra straw on the floor. 

It might have ended there, and I would not have remembered anything about any of this. But it didn’t end there. Soon after the couple got settled in to the corner of the stable, the woman went into labor. My mother came out to help and then the local midwife arrived. I remember that the man seemed frightened. I didn’t understand then, but looking back on it now I can only imagine that it must have been hard for him to watch his wife go through that experience, and there was really nothing he could do but hold her hand and hope everything would be OK. But what I really remember was the woman (a girl, really). In spite of being in the midst of what appeared to be a very painful experience, in a strange and uncomfortable place, surrounded by people she didn’t know, she was calm and confident. It was as if she knew something that the rest of us didn’t. I’ve thought about that night a lot over the years, and I can still see her face. It almost seemed to glow. 

Well, the baby finally arrived. The mother was exhausted but fine. The father began to relax. And their son was a healthy baby who cried, and nursed, and slept. It didn’t take long for things to quiet down in the stable. The midwife left. My mother stopped in from time to time and checked on them. And this young family tried to find moments of rest. 

But the calm was not to last. For reasons that I have never been able to fully understand, a group of shepherds showed up at the stable and wanted to see the baby. My friend Jonas was with them and he said that they had heard the news from angelic messengers, which made no sense to me. Why would angels be talking to shepherds? But that’s what he said. They seemed very excited, but at the same time there was a hush over the whole scene. Even as young as I was I had a sense that something holy and special was happening. 

The shepherds didn’t stay long. They spent a few quiet moments looking at the baby while he slept, and then they left. I thought I heard them singing as they walked back up the street towards the hill where their sheep were grazing. 

And then the moment had passed. It was as if I had been in a dream and then I woke up. The inn was still crazy busy. My parents were still running around trying to keep all the guests happy. The young couple with their newborn baby were still resting in the stable. It was all so very ordinary. Except that nothing would ever be ordinary again. Something extraordinary had happened, and my perception of the whole world had changed. I’ve never really been able to find the words to describe what had changed, but I knew that I would never again be able to experience life in the same old ways. It was as if I had caught a glimpse of God and now that’s all I can see wherever I look. What I came to understand that night is that the whole world is filled with the presence of God. No wonder the shepherds were singing as they left. No wonder the young mother was glowing. No wonder I’ve spent the rest of my days from that moment until now with a sense of deep and abiding gratitude for the amazing gift of life. I can’t explain it but I know it’s real. God is everywhere, just waiting for us to pay attention. I urge you to pay attention. Your life will never be the same again.