The Anti-Gospel of Jesus Christ

by Miko Bartek

I am a book nerd. When I am free, you can often find me at libraries, book stores and such. That first year after I was ordained, I taught high school in Oakland. During this time, the most impactful friendship I made was with a man named Hadi, who was not at all attached to the church or the school. We met at a book fair.

While I am not sure how Hadi would regard me now, I still view him as a friend. Not for warm feelings between us. It wasn’t like that. But he was able to help me where no one else could. You see, Hadi is a philosopher. In some areas, he was way beyond me in his thinking.

I learned a lot in just a few encounters with this man. He didn’t say much. But when he spoke he made me think.

In my first encounter with him, at the book fair, he learned that I am a Jesuit priest and became hostile. We had been chit-chatting as we ran into each other several times over the course of the day. Something made me want to get to know him.

The third time that day that we ran into each other, we exchanged contact info. And then in our fourth encounter I told him I was a priest. He asked what order. Jesuit, I replied.

“Oh. Now I see. You are a propagandist.”

I was shocked. I had never thought this about myself. But I could not argue against it. At that point, he walked away, seeming to be irritated. I didn’t see him again for two or three months.

But In our second encounter at the book fair we found ourselves debating the merits of Christianity. We were standing among a bunch of used books for sale. And one cart had a collection on Christian topics. I am a Christian. He is a skeptic. But things were friendly. And he said something that blew my mind.

“Paul had a greater impact on Christianity than did Christ.”

I zoned out when he said this, thinking it through. I had never heard this before. But I could not argue against it. It seemed true. And so a seed was planted.