I was on the station platform awaiting a train from Yokohama to Tokyo one fall morning, when I noticed a man who seemed a bit lost. I spoke to him, and his beautiful Scottish burred accent made me glad I did. We struck up a conversation as we boarded the train for the destination we had in common. It turned out that he was a Presbyterian missionary en route home to Scotland after years of Christian service in China and Southeast Asia. His boat had docked in Yokohama, and he had a day to look around before sailing off for home. He told me some wonderful stories about his vocation and seemed interested in everything around him. I recall his commenting especially on the Japanese university students who were on the train with us. He took their black uniforms and white plastic collars to be seminary garb! I regretted to correct his impressions, but he took it with good humor and enjoyed a laugh on himself.

As we came to the Tokyo Central Station, we got off together and shook hands before parting. He took my hand firmly in his own and said, "We'll meet again, you know." I thought about his sentence as I went on to my appointment. Where will we meet? Not in Japan. Nor in Scotland or the U.S.A. No, we will meet again in the church triumphant as we all gather about the throne of God to praise him forever! This hour in my life occurred thirty-seven years ago, but it will stay with me always. I cite it to stir your own awareness of those splendid, unplanned moments that bring you into the presence of another person of the faith. Such moments express the unity for which Christ prayed, and they are unforgettable.