What's Rankin been thinking about lately?

It wasn’t quite the loaves and fishes, but we were amazed by our Thanksgiving dinner.  It started out to be just some of Morgen’s family and a couple of friends who didn’t have any plans, but it became something none of us anticipated or will ever forget.

The story really starts with Shohei, Mitsi and Mamo – three international students from Japan studying at UCLA who’ve been attending Pacific Crossroads for the last year.

Shohei and Mamo speak some English, but Mitsi is just learning the language.  On top of that, only Shohei and Mamo (who are cousins) were Christians.   So I was delightfully intrigued at what kept them coming back to our community.

“We just like being here. People are so warm and kind,” Shohei replied, and also explained that Mitsi, who was dating Mamo, was very interested in Christianity but had many questions.  Less than 3% of Japan’s population is Christian.

My wife Morgen loves all things International and all things Missional, so much so that before spending almost three years on the mission field in Sierra Leone, she spent a year working in the International Student Office at USC, which (fun fact) has the largest international student population in the country.  She loved getting to be around people from all over the world every day.  From her time there, she knew that over 95% of international students who study in the United States never see the inside of an American home.  Whatever happened to hospitality for the foreigners in our midst (Deut. 10:19)?

So, we invited Shohei, Mitsi and Mamo to our home for Thanksgiving.  Just the three of them, some of Morgen’s family, and a couple of friends.

Then…well, a couple of those friends had friends who didn’t have anywhere to go.  And a couple of those friends had friends.  “The more the merrier,” we thought.

Then Mitsi and Mamo announced they were engaged, and that some of their family – Shohei’s mother and uncle, and Mamo’s mother – were flying in from Japan to meet Mitsi.  They spoke no English.  “But are very nice, and will bring presents,” Shohei promised.  “Can they come to your Thanksgiving party too?”  Of course!

Three more won’t hurt, and then two more won’t be a problem, and there’s always room for one more.  Until my wife discovered, to her sheer terror, that our guest list now topped 30 people!  “Stop inviting people!” she pleaded with me.  Our home is not exactly palatial.

But with a lot of help, two 16 lb turkeys and a honey-baked ham later, as well as more casseroles and pies than we had tables to hold them, somehow there was more than enough to eat, and our apartment never seemed larger.

This by itself would have made Thanksgiving 2008, our first as a married couple, memorable.  Then, Mamo and Mitsi approached me with a paper I have seen many times before.

It was a marriage license, and they wanted me to sign it.  I was confused, so I did what I always do when I’m confused, “Morgen!”

As if she could somehow suddenly speak Japanese. 

We quickly figured out that they wanted me simply to sign the certificate so they could file it, and then they’d have a proper wedding some time this summer when they returned to Japan.  “But you haven’t taken your vows,” I said.

They looked at me; I looked at them, then said, “Looks like we are going to have a wedding…in our living room!”  Morgen found her veil for Mitsi to wear, and grabbed one of the table centerpieces for her to use as a bouquet.

I clanged on a glass, and announced, “Excuse me.  Thanks for coming.  We hope you are enjoying the meal.  Before dessert, we are actually going to have a wedding.”  A few gasps, several shocked faces, and some happy laughter.  I prayed, read from John 15, they repeated their vows.

By the time we got to, “You may kiss the bride!” several people were crying.

Mamo’s family was so grateful that they requested, through Shohei, to sing us a song of gratitude, a hymn to God, as a gift to us.  The three of them stood and proceeded to sing, “What a Friend We have In Jesus,” in Japanese!  I didn’t understand a word, but it was perfect.

In that moment all of us understood that in Christ there is neither Japanese nor American, that we who had never met before that day shared a bond greater than any natural affinity, and that one day we would sing together again at another Feast at another Wedding, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

If some of you are wondering – what happened to Mitsi?  A few days later, Morgen met her in a coffee shop and explained the Gospel to her in the clearest, simplest language she could summon, “The Gospel is like a wedding,” she began.  Mitsi understood perfectly and prayed to receive Christ.

I don’t know what will happen next year at Thanksgiving, but Morgen has made sure she’s in charge of the guest list.