CHRIST THE KING:
JUST A SHORT VISIT
[Instead of a regular homily for this Feast of Christ the King, yesterday I decided to write a story homily. Sometimes I do this as a change of pace – especially when I have written a dozen or two homilies on a feast. I also like to do this every once and a while, because I’m interested in hearing the story myself – to see where my imagination will take me – if I put something old with something new or something different – putting things together that weren’t together before. So here goes, a story entitled, “Christ the King: Just a Short Visit.” Hopefully, this will touch on a few key reminders or issues for this feast – and not just be something cute or all fluff and no stuff.]
Once upon a thought in eternity, I can’t say, “Once upon a time” as most stories begin, because eternity is outside of time, Christ decided to pay a visit to some place in the world.
It was not to be the End of the World visit – with earthquakes and eruptions – disruptions and death shrieks – the one they thought was going to happen in the First Century in the time of the Early Church.
And obviously, it couldn’t be like the first visit – the Christmas story – being born in a stable – with Mary and Joseph, animals, angels, shepherds and Wise Men.
No, it would be just a change of pace visit by Jesus to get away from the regular ongoing stuff in eternity. Seeing the pope and presidents making visits here and there probably triggered this thought in Jesus.
But where to go? He didn’t know.
So he asked various people up in heaven, “Where would be the best place on earth for me to visit?”
Answers and reasons, suggestions and possibilities, were many: Moscow, Beijing, China, Mumbai, India, Seoul, Korea, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, London, Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, were suggested – all big cities, all big crowds.
Others suggested beautiful places like the Amalfi Coast, the Alps, Machu Picchu, the Blue Ridge Mountains or Tahiti.
He considered all – pluses and minuses – and he decided on a place where there would be people – but in a smaller type city.
After a bit more consideration, he picked Annapolis, Maryland – of all places. Surprise. And wow was the Mayor of Annapolis surprised when he got a call. He couldn’t believe it – but as he heard Jesus give the details – he believed it.
Jesus said that he didn’t need any police protection or barriers or all that. So there would be no cost to the taxpayers, etc. etc. etc. Jesus said he would just quietly walk around town – sort of in secret – maybe walk through the Naval Academy, St. John’s College – see the Harbor, Ego Alley, the Marketplace, the restaurants, the red bricks, lots of red bricks, maybe walk over the Eastport Bridge or check out Bay Ridge or Quiet Waters Park. The Mayor told him about the Eastport Bridge going up or down on the half hour – but it’s not that long a delay.
And Jesus gave him a time and a date and that this time he wouldn’t be on a donkey or anything like that. No processions or marching. Just a meandering around town – incognito. That was it. That was all.
Well, the next morning the Mayor met with his council and told them about the call from Jesus and he convinced them that this was going to happen on the day Jesus told him, the last Sunday in November, November 28, 2010 – just 6 days away.
Well, this was news. Right after the council meeting, someone immediately called The Capital and The Capital put the story on page 1 that afternoon. There wasn’t too much happening in Annapolis that day.
Well, within 2 hours the story went around the world – and then back again – which caused some anxiety and agita and “Uh oh’s!”
Tickets on all airplanes on all airlines to BWI were gobbled up in 4 hours. Hotel space in Annapolis, Baltimore, Washington were taken in 5 hours. People in Annapolis, who hadn’t heard from certain relatives and family members in years got calls – wondering if they had extra space for a visit next weekend – the weekend after Thanksgiving Day.
Jesus wasn’t planning on causing disruption on a massive scale – the kind that might happen when he makes his end of the world visit. However, this one started looking like it was going to be one big traffic jam, one big massive arrival of people from all over the world to tiny little Annapolis, Maryland.
And that’s what somewhat happened that weekend leading up to Sunday, November 28, 2010.
The parking lot at St. Mary’s was packed – not by people going to the various Masses – but by people in campers and RV’s who had arrived by Thursday. By Friday it was difficult to move around or to come in or out of Annapolis – a lot more than it is on some Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays.
Restaurants, stores, food, everything was sold out by Friday – and shipments of more food and drink and stuff had trouble, lots of trouble, getting into town. T-shirts were gobbled up by Saturday – especially a T-Shirt that said on the back, “I Saw Jesus in Annapolis, Maryland and he almost touched the edge of this T-shirt.”
The different pastors and churches in the Annapolis area wondered if Jesus would by any chance go to their church that Sunday. The pastor of St. Mary’s obviously figured Jesus would go to the Catholic Church – and collections would be booming. The pastors in the other Christian Churches had the same thought. All pastors must think alike.
The Mayor and the police got very nervous, because they realized if someone announced that Jesus was walking around on West Street or he was down by the Alex Haley statue near the harbor, people might push and shove and crush each other – in their attempt to see Jesus.
TV cameras – reporters – famous people – knowns and unknowns were to be seen everywhere.
Well, around 7 o’clock on Sunday Morning, November 28, 2010, Jesus was sitting there in Chick and Ruth’s Delicatessen on Main Street in Annapolis, Maryland, in a jacket that had no messages on it. He was warned that if he wore a Ravens’ or a Redskins’ jacket or jersey or shirt, it would cause a distraction or possible division – but Jesus said, “Wouldn’t it be a good disguise? I just want a simple visit.” So there he was a plain jacket, tan trousers and Annapolis deck shoes.
He just sat there and listened to people. Everyone was giving their take on Jesus – what he would look like – where he would appear in Annapolis – and all that. The waitress thought he was a great customer – treating her with a few person to person comments – and chit chat – not interrupting her – but finding out her name. It was Martha. He found out how much she makes an hour and how much she makes on tips – and who was who in her family – and surprise their chit chat went rather fast. She had work to do and lots of customers to serve. At first Jesus didn’t get what “Hon” meant.
He started talking to an old man at a table next to his. His name was Nick. He too, like Jesus, was also sitting by himself – there in Chick and Ruth’s. In about two minutes, the man said, “Mind if I sit with you?”
Jesus said, “Sure!”
The restaurant was crowded – but there was still some room, because even at 7 AM in the morning, the crowds were out in the streets hoping to see Jesus.
The man asked Jesus if he was from around here and if he came to see Jesus and Jesus said, “I am he.”
At that the man gasped and gulped and almost spilled his coffee – but at that, the man also realized in a moment, that yes, this was Jesus. And the two of them began talking about life and this man’s life in particular.
This man, Nick, was to tell people for the rest of his life, “I met Jesus Christ in Chick and Ruth’s Delly that day” but for the rest of his life, nobody believed him. But it didn’t make any difference to the man. He knew.
And that’s what Jesus did that day. He met people.
He met 12 people one to one that Sunday. Jesus still loved one to one meetings.
He also dropped into 7 homes and met 2 couples whose children were grown and gone. The other 5 had families still at home. He also dropped in on two families who were in trailers in Saint Mary’s parking lot. One trailer was from South Carolina and the other was from West Virginia. He also worked his way through the crowd and could see wonder and hope in people’s faces.
Nobody recognized him. He was a blur in a crowd. That is till Jesus stopped and talked to a person.
As he walked around Jesus realized he still loved to see the birds of the sky – not all had flown south – as well as flowers in people’s gardens. Leaves – well November leaves in Annapolis – were everywhere. This was a new experience for him. He wondered, “There’s a parable in these leaves. There’s a parable here in these leaves. What is it? What is it?”
Afterwards back in heaven when he pondered about his day in Annapolis, Maryland, he thought that the people seemed pretty much like the people in his day – when he grew up in Nazareth and moved to Capernaum – and then walked the streets and roads of Israel. Once more he talked about loving God, Our Father, and one’s neighbor with all one’s heart, soul and strength. Once more he saw poor people others were not seeing. Once more he visited a few sick people and blessed them.
That Sunday afternoon around 4 PM - before he headed back to heaven, Jesus found the Mayor of Annapolis downtown near the Christmas tree and came up and asked him, “Can I talk to you?”
The mayor – frustrated that Jesus didn’t seem to appear in Annapolis as promised – or to walk around town – was shocked when Jesus introduced himself.
Jesus began, “Mayor forgive me, for I didn’t know what I was doing. The next time I pick a city, there will be no announcements. I’ll just do what I did all day today – walk around and walk into people’s lives. I’m sorry for all the obvious inconvenience I caused – all the traffic jams – all the frustrated anticipations – all these people disappointed. The same thing happened off and on 2,000 years ago – when I did this the first time – but I forgot and I realize this is different.”
The mayor was stunned – silent – surprised – out of his voice – hearing what Jesus was voicing – and not knowing what to say back to Jesus.
Then the Mayor spotted a Discover Annapolis Tours trolley bus and said to Jesus, “Would you be willing to get in there and just ride up Main Street and then go up West Street and wave to everybody? I’m sure that would ease some of the frustration – if you just waved as we just drove you through town.”
Jesus said, “Gladly!”
And that’s what Jesus did.
People on both sides of Main Street came to a standstill as the bus went up Main Street and then West Street and then back down West Street to Church Circle and then down Duke of Gloucester and across the bridge to Eastport. Jesus like a waving pope or politician was waving to everyone. People couldn’t believe it: this is Jesus in tan pants and a simple jacket – and a T-shirt without any writing on it. Some thought what a missed opportunity.
Some believed that it was Jesus; some didn’t.
Jesus said a few times to the Mayor as he was waving to the crowds, “I really don’t like doing this. I still prefer one to one meetings with people. The last time I did the crowd scene I was on a donkey. It was Palm Sunday and everyone was cheering and by Friday they were screaming, “Crucify. Crucify him! Moments like this bring back memories, you know.”
The Mayor wasn’t hearing any of this – just going, “Phew! This might save the day – all these people spending all this money to come to Annapolis to see Jesus – and now they are finally seeing him.”
Later on the Mayor was to tell the city council, “There were more people in Annapolis that Sunday than there were in 100 Boat Shows combined and we’re now on the map even more. Thank You, Jesus, thank You.”
It took a couple of weeks before things got back to normal – and besides that it was December and people were getting ready for Christmas - the first coming of Jesus.
Without knowing it, that Christmas was to be a very different Christmas for some folks in Annapolis. Folks that Christmas began wondering about the impact of Jesus on his first visit to Earth – and some began reading the Gospels with that in mind – comparing the stories of people in gospels with folks from around town who had met Jesus one to one that Sunday in Chick and Ruth’s and here and there around Annapolis – before his bus ride that Sunday afternoon.
And Jesus like this story, wasn’t sure what should come next. He thought, “Maybe next time I’ll go to Palermo in Sicily. I always wanted to try out my Italian. But this time I won’t give any warnings. I’ll just as I read on a T-Shirt someone in Annapolis was wearing, “Nike. Just do it.”
