Jesus on the "R" Train
On my way into work this morning I was sitting across from a trio of people, obviously tourists. Next to them was a man, obvisouly a New Yorker, listening to his head phones with his eyes shut singing along out loud. The tourists were chuckling and looking at each other. Us jaded train riders are used to crazies singing too loudly with their IPods and don't give it a second glance. The tourists, however, were trying desperately to figure out what he was singing. When they finally got it, they looked at eachother in agreement and smiled. When the man opened his eyes one of the tourists politely asked him if it was Michael W. Smith that he was listening to and he said yes. They connected. And started singing along together and talking about, well, The Lord. They were in New York on a mission trip (what New York transplants aren't on a mission really?) and they connected, the whole bunch of them, right there at 8:45 in the morning on the Manhattan bound "R" train. At the stop to change trains the man politely invited them to a service at his church in Manhattan and then led the group (there were a whole bunch of them you see) in a small group prayer on the platform before hopping over to the "N" train. People passed and looked at them funny while I stood by and looked at them with envy. Someday, I hope to have that kind of belief in people, in my faith, the kind of steadfast certainty that in a moment connects you to someone on a train, because of a song, because of a bond that is stronger than you both rooted in something you can't even see or touch but that can touch you.