party crashers

I admit it: the story about Tareq and Michaele Salahi (the couple who crashed a state dinner at the White House last week) has captivated me in so many ways. (For the latest, check here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_uninvited_guests.)

First, how in the world did they make it in if they weren't invited? Come on! This isn't like sneaking into Disney World or Busch Gardens without a ticket. This is the White House! Security reports from that evening describe three checkpoints BEFORE guests even made it to the door of the White House (where the infamous and questionable guest list was checked - not so carefully!).

Second, what's with their friend at the Pentagon? It's great to have friends in high places, but the story sounds fishy. Wouldn't this woman have caught on to the fact that she was being used? The emails sound like they speak for themselves: the couple was pushy, she was put in an awkward position and told them they probably wouldn't get an invite, and the couple went to the White House anyway.

Third, the level of arrogance and self-perceived importance is certainly remarkable. Not only did they use their friend at the Pentagon, they publicly disputed cold, card evidence (the chain of communication through emails between the couple and their friend is indisputable). And then, to make matters worse, they are selling their first interview to the network with the highest bid. IF they really wanted to avoid possible criminal charges and IF they really did think they were invited, wouldn't it make more sense to be busting down the doors of anyone who would listen so that the story would get cleared up? Instead, they are looking for their moment in the spotlight and a chance to make a few bucks.

All this has lead me to ask the question that has become synonymous with evangelical Christianity: what would Jesus do?

Well, on one hand, I think Jesus had a pretty awesome sense of humor. So, he'd probably laugh a bit. All the hype about national security and we can't even keep party crashers out of the White House? In some strange way, this sounds like something Jesus and his motley crew of disciples would've done to poke fun at the Pharisees.

But maybe I'm being too soft. Wouldn't Jesus have been appalled by the outlandish show of self-importance and pride? Wouldn't he have cautioned them of thinking more of themselves than they ought? Wouldn't he have told some parable to humble them a bit?

Well, he did (sort of). A parable from Luke's gospel has been running through my mind since this story surfaced. Hear how Eugene Peterson puts it in the Message Bible:

^7-9He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, "When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.

^10-11"When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

No doubt, the place of honor didn't belong to these two party-crashers. I'm humiliated for them. I imagine most people with any sense of self respect would be. What a lesson! Jesus' words are pretty clear (even if paraphrased): "If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face."