Welcome Table
Several years ago, I ran across a story about a bride and her fiancé, who went to a fancy hotel to plan a magnificent reception for their wedding. Every detail would be perfect. No expense would be spared. At the last minute, however, the groom got cold feet and called off the wedding. The woman and her family went to the hotel and explained her situation, hoping to recover their deposit. The hotel was sympathetic, but under the terms of their contract, only a tenth of it would be returned. What was she going to do? At length, she decided to continue with the party anyway. But rather than serving wedding guests, she determined to invite street vagrants, prostitutes, and homeless people to the dinner. The only other change was to the menu: boneless chicken, in honor of the groom. Picture the scene. Accustomed to serving the well-heeled, tuxedoed servers are offering hors-dourves to (ahem) whores. Instead of performing for a blushing bride, the band plays for bedraggled beggars who ...