Giving Religion a Seat on the Bus

Roxana Callejas, International Studies Academy, Wat it do, ISA? (Spring 2007):

**This is an opinion-experience article by the student writer, and does not reflect the position of the school or the school district**

On Wednesday, November 15, 2006, I was on my way home when four men boarded the 14 Mission bus I was riding. From the moment they arrived, they got everyone’s attention by yelling and talking directly to the people.

Their message from the beginning was salvation in Jesus Christ. Holding Bibles, they seemed confident and sure about what they were saying.

Some people in the bus were amazed and some of them seemed to be mad, but there wasn’t anybody that was not looking at them.

If I wasn’t Christian I would have said that they were crazy, but every single thing that they were saying made me admire them because they were brave to come onto a bus and talk to a bunch of people that they don’t know.

One of the men began to talk in Spanish and another was talking in English. His name is Ernesto Martinez.

He said, “Please, please give your heart to Jesus, because tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The end of this world will be soon and if we don’t give our heart to Jesus we will be lost and we will be lost forever.” He looked really worried but worried about what? I thought.

The other men’s names are Carlos and Victor. They don’t only preach in the buses. They also preach Sundays at 16th Street BART and Tuesdays at 24th Street BART.

They go to a Christian church called King of Kings on Mission Street. Those men believe that people regret bad things they have done and encourage people to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts.

Ernesto preaches in the buses every Tuesday in the morning while he goes to his job and when he comes back home he does the same thing. “Even though sometimes the people get angry and kick me out of the bus, Jesus makes me brave to preach in the buses and in the street,” he said.

The words of this man impressed me because he looked really interested about continuing to preach about Jesus and getting everybody’s attention wherever he goes, and I’m sure they are going to get the others’ attention as they got mine.