We Saw Jesus in Chelsea at a Japanese Restaurant

One of the great things about living near New York is getting to see famous people when you go to the City. Our friends Billieanne and Jason saw Alec Baldwin at a deli near their hotel in Manhattan when they were visiting during this past winter. My brother-in-law saw Dennis Rodman at a bar in the City a couple of years ago. For some reason, I keep seeing Jesus.

After seeing Jesus walking his dog in Greenwich Village four years ago after we had attended a play for our anniversary, I would have never thought in a million years we would see him again. But it happened, on our anniversary, again.

We’d picked no particular restaurant for dinner, so we walked around from restaurant to restaurant looking at menus. The restaurants in Chelsea were packed on this warm Thursday summer evening.  Everyone was young and beautiful and looked like they had money. I know this is not really possible, but it seemed that way. I didn’t want to be around that oppressive kind of environment—one where everyone was young and beautiful and rich—that would highlight my inadequacies on my anniversary. We kept walking past one restaurant after another until we finally reached Tanuki Tavern, a Japanese restaurant with very few patrons and a seven-foot high fence that gave privacy to those who dined outdoors.  The outer wall had one continuous rattan bench for those who sat with their backs to the outside world while those on the inside had these uncomfortable oval rattan stools with a cushion. I took the inside seat on the stool, looked to my left, and spotted Jesus immediately. Oh, it was him alright! Long, black curly hair with a rich black Mediterranean-looking beard. He was deeply focused on the conversation with the man he was sitting with. I pointed him out to Marcia and she just looked at me and smiled politely.

After we had sat down a woman in a powder blue dress sat down with them. She must have been in the restroom when we arrived. They appeared to be done eating, but for the hour and a half we were there they continued conversing. I figured he must have been teaching them the gospel, but it seemed so unlikely that it would happen at a Japanese restaurant in New York City. No one ever went over to them to ask him for his autograph or even bother him at all. This is one of the great things about New York. Even though you’re famous, New Yorkers pretty much leave you alone.

Jesus was still deeply engaged in conversation when we left for the High Line Park. I then realized what an amazing week it was. The previous Sunday night after our church service, my family and I and our friend Susan had all gone to the Starbucks in Englewood, New Jersey. While we were there, I saw Osama Bin Laden. Oh, it was him alright! He must now be working as an auto mechanic since he was wearing a gray auto mechanic’s uniform. I pointed him out to Marcia and she smiled politely. Just like the government says, he is about 6’ 5” with a beard. He wasn’t wearing a turban, though, and I noticed his hairline was really receding on top with a lot of gray in it. I really wasn’t afraid of him at all. Honestly, seeing him made me feel good about myself because I still have my most of my hair on top and there is very little gray in mine. I wasn’t close enough to see if his name tag said “Osama” or “Bin Laden”  on the uniform. I noticed him while we were ordering. He did not have a laptop. He got up, pulled up his pants (yes, it appeared he was getting a little thick in the middle too!), threw out what appeared to have been what was left of a frappucino, and left.

I still can’t believe I saw Jesus and Osama Bin Laden in the same week.