every day around this time, a man walks down broadway. He walks all the way from somewhere around 125th street to supposedly 59th street. I can hear him come and I can hear him pass by. His voice gets louder and then softer again. All he screams on top of his lungs is “JESUS” and “HALLELUJAH”, “GLORY”...(repeat.) He is a bit of a reminder of the turning wheel of the day, the week, the month, the years... life, on the Upper West Side and just in general. He is here every single day,mostly dressed in a brown three piece suit. He often wears a hat. I sometimes just want to run out and shake his hand. Sometimes I just want to thank him for passing by.
Somebody at work once made fun of him, using him as a side note of the silliness of Christianity. I could not agree at all. His way of meditative chanting is such a universal expression of any belief, such a powerful way to mark the day. I can imagine that there are more of these messengers around the world. I am glad that he moves through my neighborhood...