Table Talk

Finish That Thought #25 (Judge's Comments)
Prompt: Who invited [Uncle Jasper] to Christmas dinner?
Special Challenge: Most creative use for a water pistol

Hope everyone had a heavenly Christmas!  I didn't do the special challenge this time, but you're welcome to take a shot and see where it'd fit. ;) 


“Who invited that scruffy looking stranger to Christmas dinner?” was the question on everybody’s lips tonight. It was the first time the company had seen someone not dressed in white. The stranger’s ragged clothes clung to his plump body, his hair was a snowy white, and the tangled beard rested on his stomach. He sat towards the center of the long table, his shabby attire drawing attention like a sore thumb when compared to the shining white-robed saints surrounding him.

“What’s his name, Peter?” Adam asked with his pen poised above his clipboard. He was busy checking off names on the attendance sheet.

“I don’t know,” Peter answered, a little dumbfounded. “But I sure didn’t let him in!”

“You mean someone sneaked past you at those pearly gates? You better find yourself a new job!” Andrew joked.

Abraham leaned over to his cousin Lot. “Is he from my side of the family or yours?”

“Well, we’re all technically your children,” Lot whispered back. Abraham made an “O” with his lips and went back to studying the stranger.

“Maybe the Alzheimer’s got to Methuselah a little more than we thought?” Onesimus volunteered.

“No, he’s sitting down there with Noah,” Enoch replied. “He likes learning about the flood. And learning about it. And re-learning about it.”

“At least old Noah has an audience and it’s not me!” Shamgar chuckled as he polished his oxgoad.

“Please, Shamgar, not at the dinner table,” Esther chided.

“I know! David just couldn’t break that ash and sackcloth habit of his!” Abednego exclaimed. “It’s got to be David!”

Jeremiah pointed over to the angel choir, “David’s over there in the mosh pit.”

“John the Baptist?” Joseph the Dreamer ventured.

“I passed him on my way here,” Paul said. “He was catching locusts in the field.”

Moses rubbed his chin, “He smiles too much to be Elisha.”

“Then who could it be?” Abigail asked. Mary didn’t offer a guess but pondered all these things in her heart.

After much contemplation, Solomon rose from his spot at the table and raised his hand for silence. Immediately the whispers hushed and even David stopped his dancing long enough to hear the verdict.

“It has come to my attention that there is a stranger among us tonight,” Solomon spoke in a quiet, but authoritative, voice. “Now, we know that no one who defies the LORD can enter Heaven.”

There were murmurs and mutterings of agreement.

“We also know that only the dead are permitted an audience with the LORD and then saints are given white robes upon arrival.”

Again, there was agreement.

“There is only one person I can think of who would be exempt from this rule,” Solomon paused dramatically as one of the angels rolled out a drum roll, “and that is the immortal St. Nicholas!” He turned to the stranger with a smug smile. “Congratulations on your petition being accepted. I hope you enjoy your first Christmas dinner.”

“Thank you! I’m sure it’ll be heavenly!” St. Nick whooped.