Not even a bullet can keep this street preacher down.
Every Sunday for nearly 15 years, Rev. Larry Oneal Walker has stood at the intersection of JFK and McCain Boulevards in North Little Rock, Arkansas to preach the gospel. He’s well-known in the community and has never had much of an issue with anybody. That is until 20-year-old Latarryes Bush allegedly shot the street preacher in the abdomen on June 2, after he refused to give up his microphone.
Subscribe to have The Washington Times’ Higher Ground delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
“He slapped the mic out of my hand, tore the mic up, and I pushed back on him saying ‘wait wait now’ then he came out with his pistol and shot me,” recounted Rev. Walker. “One shot in the stomach and by the power of the name of Jesus the bullet went in a little ways and it came back out.”
The street preacher said he believed the young man instantly regretted his actions.
“He had a look on his face that he was sorry,” Rev. Walker described. “Like he was sorry, he was embarrassed, he hated that he did that to me.”
While some in the community were disturbed by the senseless violence, Rev. Walker saw it as another opportunity to preach forgiveness. In fact, he said he’d be the first to embrace the young man and cook him a hot meal.
“Just like the young man that shot me, I can’t wait to see him and let him know I love him, it will be alright, I forgive you. I forgive you son,” Rev. Walker said. “I hope they let him come to the house where I can cook him some brown beans and cornbread.”
The preacher said he will continue to fulfill his mission to share Christ with anyone who will listen—including Bush.
“It doesn’t make no difference how bad you’ve been,” he said. “The almighty said He so loved the world that he gave his son. God almighty gave his son to die because of people on the planet so that’s my main object[ive].”
Mr. Bush was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and is being held on various charges without bond, including criminal attempt to commit murder.
In the meantime, Rev. Walker will continue to spend his Sundays on his corner, which he calls the red light, green light church.
“That’s the main objective all the time,” he said. “Every day, every night, every minute, every second, the objective is to win a soul to the almighty God.”
—
Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.