No Room In The Inn
In his essay, Brown reflects on the consumer nature of the Christmas season, realizing that everything he loves about Christmas has more to do with the social traditions than religious ones. As a Christ follower, he knows that Christmas should be about Jesus, the implications of the incarnation, and the impact of his kingdom; but he still struggles (as do many others) not knowing how to celebrate this holiday differently than he always has. He loves the shopping, the lights, sounds and smells, the hustle and bustle of the season. But where, Brown asks, does Jesus fit into all of this? Brown goes on to discuss how the love of the Triune God transforms Christmas by breaking down the societal structures that equate love and fulfillment with the purchase and consumption of products. He does this by pointing out the problems that come with a consumer based society, by showing that Jesus has no room in the Inn of our consumer structures and explaining how God’s love transforms the “Inn” to allow us to give ourselves relationally to Jesus and to others.