I happened upon Luke's Emmaus Road account in my daily reading:

"At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him [Jesus]. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. 'Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?'" -

Luke 24:31-32

The

Washington Post

tried an experiment. If they put Joshua Bell, the world renowned classical violinist, into a Washington, DC Metro station and asked him to play, would people know it was him? Well, as you can see below, most did not.

It was the same with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. When the Christ was taken out of the context they knew and expected, they didn't recognize him.

Do I recognize the Christ when he shows up in my life? Am I expecting him? Am I so attached to the Jesus Christ of traditions and creeds that I wouldn't realize it was Christ if he was sitting across the table from me?

According to Scholastic Books, the U.S. publisher of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 8.3 million copies of the last volume of J.K Rowling's series were sold on Saturday, the first day of the book's release. The latest installment of the film version, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, raked in $32.2 million. It was followed at the box office by Hairspray, which opened with $27.8 million in its first weekend.

Of course, these are two very different stories. However, I believe their success points to two realities in our culture. In the case of the Harry Potter phenomenon, the story resonates with our knowledge that we are destined for something more, something greater. Harry Potter is not just a boy who lost his parents and is mistreated by his aunt and uncle. He is a wizard of great renown, destined to be a major player in an epic battle of good versus evil.

Hairspray, adapted from the Broadway musical that was adapted from the original John Water's film, all of the same title, speaks to a desire in many if not most of us, to reach out to others, even those who are different from us--and to just dance!

Both of these impulses, good and true, are satisfied in discipleship to Christ. In the stories of his teachings and actions, it is clear that Jesus believed we must stand against systems of oppression and injustice--even on a cosmic scale. And in his words and actions, Jesus proclaimed that everyone is invited to the Kingdom party. Everybody gets to dance!