The Israelites were worried about rebuilding that nation after exile. The Christians in Crete were unclear as to how they would live their faith in a world of conflicting values. And Mary and Joseph, desperate for lodging, wonder what the future holds for them. The message that Isaiah gives the Israelites, that Paul tells Titus and that Mary and Joseph give birth to, is that we have a choice. To do that is to have hope.
Love lasts, love conquers, love travels, love heals.
That is what Jesus shows us. Bethlehem is a hokey, sentimental story without looking at the whole life of Jesus. Eat with sinners, speak with the unwanted, help the confused, feed the hungry, listening and hearing every wail, forgiving, and forgiving, and forgiving again. That is what love does. Jesus comes to tell us that love takes time, its hard work, it requires you to get your hands dirty, it requires your entire life. . .