Who's At Your Dinner Party?

Brad Lomenick recently posted the following on the Catalyst blog. I thought it was thought-provoking:

Okay, you’ve got 7 spots at your dinner table. You can’t invite family. Invitees have to be alive. And has to be people you’ve never met. Who’s getting the invites?

Here’s my seven:

1. Nelson Mandela

2. Richard Branson

3. John Lasseter (Pixar)

4. Denzel Washington

5. Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs)

6. Melinda Gates

7. Jim Nantz (CBS Sports Host)

Here’s the seven for my assistant Michelle Hoeft, who is 24 and a recent graduate from Univ of Nebraska:

1. Malcolm Shabazz (Malcolm X grandson)

2. Michelle Obama

3. J.K. Rowling

4. Anne Moody (Civil Rights Activist)

5. Zach Galifianakis

6. Sister Mary Prema (Missionaries of Charity)

7. Eminem

Who’s at your dinner table?

So I thought I'd try my hand at the exercise...just in case the opportunity ever arises, ya know? Here's my list:

1. Ravi Zacharias (Christian apologist)

2. Margaret Thatcher (former prime minister of England)

3. James Taylor (singer/songwriter)

4. N. T. Wright (author, bishop, etc.)

5. Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli prime minister)

6. Steve Jobs (Apple CEO)

7. Annie Dillard (author)

Wow, that was tougher than I thought. But man, I think that would be a fascinating group, and would certainly engender some lively conversation.

So....who's at your dinner party?