We began talking together about dozens of things! And much of it was religious, because one couple was devout Roman Catholic (they had to get up early for mass the next morning) and the other devout Jew. I had to tell them I was a United Methodist pastor. Otherwise some of my burning questions might have seemed truly impertinent. They were thrilled. I don't think they'd ever met a Methodist they didn't like. Actually, I think I was their first Methodist and they seemed to like me all right.
Then the waitress came over to tell us she was so sorry but we had to leave to make room for others to sit. It was a VERY small, and very popular restaurant. Fair, even low, prices. Everything REALLY home cooked and fresh. When you visit Marco Island don't miss it. It's the way REAL American diner food used to be when diners had REALLY good chefs, and owners!
But we weren't ready to part yet, so after some discussion I followed their car to a shopping area they recommended called The Esplanade and we sat outside at Starbucks from about 7:30 to 10:00 pm. And what did these six new friends talk about? More religion! And true faith. And history, biblical and otherwise. Abortion, Gay rights, Islam and De Caprio's new film Wolf of Wall Street. "De Caprio makes one wall Street movie and suddenly he's on talk shows telling others how to invest? Bah!"
We told old jokes, old war stories (One had been with the Army honor guard out of Fort Myers, Va. which serves at Arlington Cemetery) and the Holocaust of Germany, Rwanda, and where it might happen next. I was asked more biblical questions than at any Hope Church Bible Study I've ever been in and the Jewish couple were amazed and very interested to know that one of our active members at Hope was Jewish, and had been baptized into Christianity only a couple of years ago.
We spoke of popes, rabbis, Jesus and Dan Brown. We told Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart and Mel Brooks (2,000 year old man) jokes from the sixties. The time flew, and then, we all really did have to take our happy but weary selves back to our respective homes. I shared my business cards, they promised to email me. We parted with much hugging and more laughing, "But did you hear the one about the priest, the pastor and the rabbi..."
Mona and I woke up the next morning to discover an awful fact. We had forgotten their names! We had no way to reach them. And even though they each had my card all four of them professed either ignorance of or disdain for the use of computers. Oh how we hope one of them emails me, at least so I can send them the picture above!
But the point of this contemplation is not only the hope of our re-connection. It's not even the prayer that we might meet to talk again as we did last evening sometime. It is that if Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant couples can sit down beside each other in a random restaurant and in about 2-3 hours become dear friends (whatever their names are!) then why can't more of us from different cultures, backgrounds, faiths, non-faith, even political parties, do the same.
The six of us did not agree on all we spoke of. Indeed, we differed alot on some issues. But we had respect for each other's opinions and the sense of humor to let our humor make sense.
Jesus led His disciples into many such discussions; meeting people they had never met before; many, in fact, they never thought they would ever meet. Lawyers spoke honestly with fishermen. A tax collector got to speak to another about how Jesus changed his life. Even a former zealot (Jewish terrorist against the Romans) found himself learning to love even the hated Roman.
Our evening was a God made appointment. Now if we can only find out who these people were!!
-Ken
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