Was the innkeeper a mean man,
little and uncaring
or just overworked,
the victim of thoughtless
and demanding people?

Was he really insensitive
to the needs
of the young man
and his obviously pregnant companion
or just so emotionally drained
that he had no resources left?

Was the barn a grudging afterthought
or a compassionate effort
to do what he could
under the circumstances?

We will probably never know.
And anyway the real question is not
the inn keeper's motives
but mine, ours.

Have we made room in our lives for Christ
or have we allowed
greed and materialism
to fill us so full of self that once more
there's no room for Him?