Before They Hated You, They Hated Me, First

By Joe Sullivan, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

This past First Friday we were once again out on Roosevelt Street in Phoenix with our Challenge teen group, street evangelizing during the monthly “Art Walk” that the city sponsors. 

We arrived at our usual spot around 6:30 p.m. and set up a small table and a large stand-up poster displaying a silhouette of Jesus with the words “Catholic Truth” and “Ask any question.” 

There were thousands of people from all walks of life rumbling up and down Roosevelt Street looking for food and entertainment. We typically pass out hundreds of rosaries at this event every month. 

All was initially going well this time – rosaries were getting to people, and some people were showing interest – when five very large, young African American males dressed in what looked like medieval suits of armor (except they were purple) approached us. Their costumes were like something the pop singer ‘Prince’ would have worn if he were from the 12th century. They towered over our teens and their strong boisterous voices boomed: “Hey man! Jesus wasn’t white! He was from Africa! He was black!” 

We could tell they did not come for an honest discussion but were just there to impose their radical ideology. They accused our boys of being oppressors, but our teenage boys held their own and retorted that they were Irish, one of the most oppressed ethnic groups in history. For the purple knights it didn’t matter, however, as they shouted back, “You are still white!” Our boys shrugged it off and just let them vent their false, erroneous beliefs quoting the Bible in support. 

It reminded me of the time Jesus told the Twelve to spread the Good News despite persecution saying, “Remember, before they hated you, they hated me first.”