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By AMY CALDER
Staff Writer 12/23/2007

enlarge Staff photo by David Leaming

BLESS YOU: Born-again Christian John Lewis waves his cross as two pedestrians pass him on Main Street in Waterville. Lewis has for 40 years spread the word of God and encouraged people to abide by Christian laws.

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"I've got to bless this home," he says, stopping in front of a large white house and raising his cross to the upper windows. "I ask the Lord to protect it from evil."

It is windy and very cold, with temperatures dipping into the lower teens. Children walking home from school pass Lewis and say "hello."

"Now, look," he says to a young boy. "You should be wearing a hat."

"I know," the child replies. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

Lewis, 65, has been walking the streets of Waterville for 40 years, blessing people and warning them that judgment day is coming if they don't wake up.

"I spread love," he said. "There's so much hate in this country. People should love one another."

Earlier, on a walk through downtown, he stopped by House of Pizza and raised the cross.

"God bless that place," he said. "They've been so good to me. They give me free soda and they give me free pizza. That's Angelo, who owns it."

Scott Reynolds has worked at the pizza place for many years. He says Lewis is probably one of the kindest people you could ever meet.

"He doesn't judge people," Reynolds said. "He's probably one of the first ones to tell you 'Have a nice day,' and he believes in peace and love. You might classify him as a little eccentric -- but it's in a good way."

Lewis says he devoted his life to spreading the word many years ago after he experienced hell and Jesus rescued him.

"I was one of the worst sinners," he said. "I was involved in everything -- every sin you can think of. Every rotten sin. I was a druggie, I was an alcoholic. I was depressed. I had four mental breakdowns and oh, Lord, it was caused by sin. I was dying and I met Jesus Christ and he took me out of darkness."

He says he has compassion for those who suffer.

"They need help," he said. "People don't drink and go on drugs because they love it. They do it because they're hurting. It's the way they dull that. I did it because I hurt so much."

The hurt, he says, came from his father's inability to love him.

"I did everything I could to get close to him. He didn't want it. He just didn't want me, that's all. It wasn't his fault. It was the devil. I forgave my father. Before he died, he asked Jesus to come into his life. I celebrated all over Waterville."

Lewis is a friendly man who speaks quickly and warms immediately to strangers. He grew up in a house on Elm Street with his parents, a sister and a brother.

His mother was a waitress at The Majestic Restaurant; his father worked at Scott Paper Co.

"I was slow," he said. "I had a very hard time in school. I quit in the 10th grade. I had a hard time to understand things. My mother would try to help me figure things out. My mama was a beautiful soul. She was my life. She loved the Lord enormously. My mother was my star. She was something special. She said, 'Be good to people. If somebody needs a dollar, give it to them.'"

Lewis worked as a carder at Cascade Woolen Mill in Oakland for 30 years until the mill closed in 1996.

For 10 years he also took care of his mother, who had become very ill. He was overcome with fear that she would die.

"I saw her suffer horribly," he said. "She had emphysema and asthma. She was 81 when she died (five years ago). I've never got over it. I dream about her every night. She was good to me. At the end, I fell apart. I wouldn't let go of my mama. I had faith. I believed God was going to heal her completely, but it didn't work that way. Sometimes God can put so much on you that you're tired."

Lewis lives in a tidy, meticulously clean apartment on Western Avenue where a tall Christmas tree covered with ornaments stands in a corner of the living room that doubles as his bedroom. Dozens of Christmas cards are neatly taped to a fireplace. A miniature manger sits at the foot of his twin bed, made up with an old-fashioned white bedspread.

On a stool by the Christmas tree he keeps a gray urn containing the ashes of his parrot, Peppi, who lived with him for 45 years.

"Jesus came and got her two years ago," he said. "My baby. Oh, I loved her."

Lewis tries to keep busy in January and February, the months when he becomes depressed and must stay active, he says. Last year, he painted all the rooms in his apartment. But after his work is done, fear sets in.

"That's when I go to the streets," he said. "I don't ever want to stay home. It's caused by an oversensitive spirit. I'm too over sensitive. I don't want to see people suffer and die. I don't like to see violence either."

In his years of walking, Lewis says children have thrown rocks at him, people have yelled and called him names and some men even beat him up once. Others are very kind.

"The policemen have been so nice to me. They've been good to me. They're so polite and they wave and they blow the horn, and the firemen are so nice. I know most everybody in Waterville. A lot of them think I'm fruity. A lot of 'em don't."

Police Sgt. Jeffrey Bearce says police have never had any problems with or complaints about Lewis.

And Captain Philip Simonds of the Fire Department says Lewis always stops in front of the station, raises his cross and blesses the firefighters there.

"He comes by here almost every day and we all say, 'It's time for our morning blessing,'" Simonds said. "He stops and does his thing and then he moves on."

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

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