The Stranger Jason

"Now can you tell me who said that?"
I thought it was a trick question.
The Bible verse that this stranger had just quoted was both foreign and familiar.
Hesitantly, I answered
"I believe that was Jesus who said that."
"That's right! That's right!"
He quickly continued
"Ok, Ok, now let me ask you this..."
He stepped in close.
"What kind of hater are you?"
This was a new one.
I hadn't been asked this question before and he knew it.
His dark lips bent into a tiny smile.
"Hmmm..." I thought
"Invisible!" I finally said
"Oh, invisible, huh? Why's that?"
"'Cause my hate is unseen. It doesn't exist!"
"Ok, ok. You don't hate anything? Ok. That's good."
We nodded our heads in confident agreement as if our necks were made of springs.
He didn't waste a second.
"Ok, well I know how to be the ultimate hater..." He said pointing his skinny dark finger.
"Oh, Ok, Is that right?"
"That's right, but you know what gets me up in the morning?"
"What's that?"
"This prayer. This prayer gets me up every morning. Now repeat after me..."
He began to recite and I followed him, mimicking his words, but arbitrarily inflecting the sounds.
I was locked in.
As he spoke, as I repeated, his features became more apparent;
Dark, smooth skin, that  of a Church man,
a crimson button up shirt, black pants, shiny black shoes,
and a neat afro atop his head.
He was wild with reverence.
His teeth were long and broad and slightly yellowed at the gums
as if they had been baptized back to white.
Our call and response prayer lasted about a minute or two
then we shook hands, hugged, and introduced ourselves.
His name was Jason.
He walked away and with a smile, he turned back towards me and shouted,
"Alright, Blaine. I love you, man!"
Rejuvenated and humored, I smiled, laughed, and called back, "Alright, man. I love you, too!"
The stranger named Jason carried on with his bold stride,
the red folds of his clothes rippling in the wind,
I turned and walked the entire three mile length home,
a resurrection awakened within me.