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 place for them in the inn.”  - Luke 2:7 

Every year the Christmas story speaks to me in a way it hasn’t before. This year, I keep focusing on the phrase, “. . . because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7b, NRSV) 

As the story goes, Mary and Joseph travel to Nazareth due to a census that requires them to register in their hometown. Joseph is a descendent of David and must, therefore, return to the City of David, Bethlehem. While there, Mary goes into labor and delivers Jesus and places him in a manger . . . “because there was no place for them in the inn.” 

Over the years I’ve learned, when studying scripture, a literal reading is a fine place to start (What’s the setting? Who are the characters?), but you never want to stay there. There’s real, spiritual depth awaiting us when we read scripture contemplatively (putting ourselves into the story in order to listen for the Spirit’s directives from within the text). Reading scripture in this way, deeply enhances our faith.