I think I saw Jesus today!
At…McDonald's, no less.
As I write this, I'm seated at a booth in a Detroit airport McDonald's.
Frustrated by the gouging prices at other food stands, I settled for some Chicken McNuggets and a fruit and walnut salad.
I hardly had time to dip the first nugget when a voice from across the way breaks into a solo rendition of O Holy Night. It was clear from her face and gestures she preferred a choir to a solo, so I joined in. Heartily. The two of us finished the song, high-fived each other and I downed another Nugget. But I couldn't help notice, a man off to the right waved his hand in the air—as if to whisk the music away.
Next thing I know, Choir girl breaks into “Joy to the World.” A handicapped lady in a wheelchair sitting at a nearby booth joins in—and others seem to quietly follow along. Not exactly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but it's a fascinating moment.
At this point, a United Airlines crew member parks himself in the booth next to mine. The black and gold epaulets on his crisp white shirt seem to shrug in confusion at the impromptu caroling. But the handicapped girl is now launching into “He rules the world with truth and grace.” So we must finish the verse.
When the would-be choir director broke into Silent Night, it was all I could do to chase away a lump in my throat. Silent Night….Holy Night….All is calm, all is bright.
Right then and there…at that McDonald's in the Detroit airport on a foggy December afternoon, the thought struck me like thunder: There's Jesus! Doing what Jesus has always done: confounding, confronting…compelling.
Some were confused by the music.
Some were offended.
Some smiled in faint interest.
But a few…a happy few—they joined the chorus.