The Ancient Witnesses

Chapter 1: A Journey to Nicaea • 21

“That’s a Jew who’s found the Messiah,” said Cesar, smiling. “Exactly,” I agreed. I shared that I had grown up in a Jewish family in west Los Angeles and had become a follower of Christ at a Harvest revival at the Hollywood Bowl. “After sharing my new faith with my family, they basically disowned me,” I explained. “That’s harsh!” said Preacher. “Yeah,” I replied, “my dad didn’t throw me out of the house, but he warned me never to mention Jesus in his presence.” The bus driver announced that we’d be stopping for fuel soon, so I cut my story short. “On my nineteen birthday, I moved out and joined a mission organization founded to evangelize Jewish people in and around Hollywood. That was awkward for my family since we had relatives in the area, so I decided to open a branch of the mission in another part of the country. They sent me to Atlanta where, at first, I attended pastors’ gatherings and led Seder services to raise awareness of our Jewish heritage. Then I enrolled in seminary where I met you guys.” Preacher agreed to share next, but didn’t know where to begin. “Why do they call you Preacher?” asked Joseph. “They called me that on the yard,” he said, admitting he had done time in prison. I had never known anyone who spent time in prison so I did not know what to say. “It wasn’t so bad,” Preacher explained, after an awkward silence, “it gave me time to think about where my life was headed, and a chaplain helped me read the