Making Room: A Christmas Invitation

Ani Vidrine
Dec 23, 2025
2 min read

~by Ani Vidrine

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 room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

Does it ever seem like your life has become crowded with to-do lists — things that need to be done, things that you must accomplish? It can seem like our reason for being alive revolves around completion of these tasks. Sometimes our minds are consumed by perpetual thoughts of these labors while our hearts lie neglected. The space between one doing and the next doing can seem filled with a sense of hurried rest.

In these times, our personal universe can become small and self-centered. There is no room for the larger world and all that we hold dear in this whirlwind of self-absorption. If aliens were visiting this planet and observing us, they might wonder at our self-isolation and what meaning we derive from this life.

Recognizing this state of affairs, let us heed the call to make room

so that the Sacred may be born in us afresh and not relegated to the periphery of our homes. Celebrating Jesus as infant at Christmas time invites us into solidarity with the innocence of our true nature and our total dependency and vulnerability. And just as Jesus received the wisdom gifts of inherent dignity (gold), human sanctity (frankincense), and sacrificial love (myrrh) so may we have faith that these gifts belong to us, too, as we become as little children.

So, let us . . .

make room to see the stunning beauty in simplicity;

make room to listen for the truth spoken to us and within us;

make room to be affected by the ever-present pain of human suffering;

make room to give of ourselves generously in response to the needs of others;

make room for stillness that we may experience the inherent peacefulness of our own presence; and

make room for this moment, now,

and our very breath.

Dear Friends,

May the peace that passes all understanding guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

Merry Christmas with love,

Ani