Anonymous
"A Christmas Play"
12-25-00

This is a true story that I heard from a man who witnessed it firsthand. I hope that you enjoy it and that it may bring a bit of innocence back to your holiday season.

They had been preparing the Christmas presentation for three months and were sure that they were ready. There had been more work and man-hours put into this than any of countless performances in the church's history. It was to be the grandest Christmas play and musical production the church had ever performed. For a bunch of Baptists, they hadn’t done too badly.

There was this man- we’ll call him Harry- who was mildly retarded. He had the sweetest, most generous heart you’ve ever seen and he wanted to be in the play. Due to the complexity of the characters, it was very difficult to place him, but it was finally decided that he would play the part of the Innkeeper. It was a simple part… just say, “No room!”

Harry practiced his part and turned out to be, it was thought, a pretty good Inn Keeper. And that was a good thing, because the day of the first presentation was upon them before they knew it.

The play was a masterpiece. Everybody knew the parts. The choir sang magnificently. Mary and Joseph put on an award winning display of drama and the audience was loving it… but… there were some who held their breath when the time for Harry to take the stage.

He stood there, just inside the window of the prop, as calm as a baby in a storm. Mary and Joseph were to inter the stage, stumble a bit out of exhaustion, and make their way to Harry’s door. Once there, he would inform them that there was no room three times and send them away. Pretty simple, right?

Well, the moment came. There was a knock on the door and Harry opened it, looking as stern as he could. Joseph asked if he and his wife could have a room…

“NO ROOM!,” Harry boomed, almost too loudly.

“Please, sir,” Joseph said, “my wife is with child and we are tired and cold.” Harry’s eyes softened noticeably as he said a but softer, “N-No room.”

But Joseph went on, almost pleading, “Sir, I’d give anything for a room. Please…” And Mary let out a moan that struck right to the heart.

Harry, eyes full of tears, said, “No room.” It was almost a whisper and many of the people in the audience began to lean forward.

Joseph and Mary looked helpless as they turned to walk away and poor Harry stood there with his head hung low, trembling and weeping with gilt. But before the couple could get too far, he stepped out of the door of the prop and called after them, “WAIT! Don’t go.”

Startled and a bit confused, Joseph turned to look at this InnKeeper.

“Don’t go.” Harry repeated, tears streaming down his cheeks, “Come inside, Joseph, You can have my bed.”

Well… some people say that the play was ruined, but not all of them. There are quite a few who will tell you that they saw the greatest Christmas play ever that year… and I would probably agree.

Happy Savior Day and...

GOD BLESS.