Post by Messenger Micah on Aug 14, 2005 19:29:25 GMT -5
Elizabeth, Doug, John and Onica and myself headed out to South Beach. We parked around 9th and Collins, found a good corner and John preached there. The streets were fairly crowded for such an early hour (5:30 PM).
We set up the banners to head toward Lummus Park and start preaching right away. As we approached the Clevelander a guy who looked Middle Eastern came up, looked at our banners and asked us what we were doing. We told him and he began to ask us all kinds of questions. I did not think the guy was sincere so I moved on, while John continued talking to him. His friend (an African American guy) seemed more sincere and began asking me questions. I talked with him a while and then moved down to Lummus Park. John was still talking to the Middle Eastern looking guy, and we could hear the guy yelling at John from down the street. Doug began preaching at the Lummus Park sign. Those guys we were talking to drove by and heckled Doug. Doug did not know it was those same guys and he told them to come back and talk like a man instead of just riding by.
After Doug finished preaching, Onica preached. Then John began preaching and those guys showed up again (there was a third guy but I never spoke to him). The Middle Eastern looking guy began to stand right next to John, follow him around and heckle him. I encouraged John to ignore the guy, and keep preaching. He also began to slander us by telling everyone lies about the conversations he had with us. He began telling everyone that I was a racist, because I had told him evolution teaches racism (he believed in evolution). He continued to slander us and tell lies, and I counted to three and our whole group simultaneously called him a ?LIAR!? This seemed to shake the guy up. He mocked, slandered, cursed, and complained about us until the police were called. Two policemen came over and began to observe and call for backup. John finished preaching and handed the platform over to me.
I began preaching with the police looking on and calling for backup. There was a good many people standing around listening because of all the commotion this guy was causing. He was quite subdued in his antics now that the police were watching, and was complaining to them about what I was preaching. I told Elizabeth to keep the video camera rolling.
After about 20 minutes of preaching an officer who had warned John and I a few weeks ago approached me and asked me to step down. He told me I had already been warned, I needed a permit, I was exceeding the 100 ft (yard?) noise limit, and he was going to arrest me. I informed him I did not need a permit, I was not near any place of business, I was going to continue and would not resist arrest if he decided to arrest me. (I was pretty confident he was bluffing me). I apologized for my voice being too loud and told him I would lower it. He said he would be watching me and was going to have someone out to arrest me.
I continued preaching and in a few minutes there was about 5 policemen standing across the street talking. I also noticed there was a squad car behind me. After a while several of the officers left, and two stayed and observed. We suspect the officers may have been there to keep an eye on the Middle Eastern looking guy. Doug told me he saw the officers become very stern with the heckler, put their hand to his chest, and order him to be quiet. I finished my preaching after about 50 minutes and we began to pack up. The heckler guy and his friends were still there but now were sitting quiet and subdued. The officers were there also.
We thanked the officers, got their cards, and he asked for our names and church. He explained about the guy complaining and said they had to respond. We told him we understood and thanked him. Praise God for His victory!
We went to Doug?s van and put our banners back around 8:40 PM so we could hit some street corners. Doug preached at the corner of 8th and Collins, and John and I preached at the corner of 7th and Collins. We had many good one on one witnesses along the way.
To finish off the evening John and I both preached again until around 10:15 PM at the corner of 9th and Collins.