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Salvation Boulevard (2011)
Just be natural.
Talk from the heart. Go. Is it... Oh, okay. Hey. Well, I guess my story starts right around here. I was in town for a show by The Dead. And I was trying to get a ticket, and I needed a miracle, really. And one didn't come. My van just sort of up and ran out of gasoline. So, I pulled into this parking lot. And I woke up the next day and saw this big building, and I went inside to use the bathroom, which you're not supposed to do, and I stayed for the church service. And, you know, really when I would go to a Dead show I always felt like I was coming home, but really it was like one big party in a hotel room. And with my family, when we go to the church, you know, it's kind of the same thing. We all get together, and we... They play songs, and there's a real sense of community. People are nice here. It's me, it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer It's me, it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer Not my brother, not my sister But it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer Not my brother, not my sister But it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer It's me, it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer It's me, it's me, oh Lord Standing in the need of prayer When I look at the historical record, when I know deep down what's at stake... Oh, it's started already. It's started! Carl! Carl! Come on. I believe He was who He said He was. A savior who took on the sins of this world and opened a door to another world. Hey, Jim. Sorry. You rock, Pastor Dan! May I respond? Please do, please do. Very well, let's ask God a few simple questions then. Where was He during the Spanish Inquisition? 9/11? The Holocaust? Disease? Massive starvation? Earthquakes? And where has He been for the thousands of years of human suffering? Come on! If there is a God, has there been a more unjust, lazy, vindictive... Boo! ...capricious bastard in all of human history? How about you? Huh? How about you? Ladies and gentlemen, please. Pastor Day, what do you see as the evidence for the existence of God? I see evidence for God everywhere I look. In law. In nature. In culture. In fact, we're standing in an auditorium full of evidence. Is there any evidence here tonight? - Right here! - Yes! I see a face I know. Yes, my husband! Yes. Come on, son. Carl, is it Carl Vandermeer? Come on, stand up. Yes! There you go. Not so long ago, Carl was a lost soul. He was a follower of a rock group called The Grateful Dead. A "deadhead"? Is that it? A deadhead. Which meant a life of alcohol, promiscuous sex, drugs, lots and lots and lots of drugs. That lifestyle brought you a lot of happiness. Didn't it, Carl? No. True happiness doesn't come from destroying our beautiful brains. It comes from submitting to God's perfect plan for us. And God's perfect plan for Carl was for him to meet a beautiful girl named Gwen and her daughter Angie. They brought him to Christ. Hallelujah! Now he's got a wonderful family, a job in the publishing department of my church, but above all else, love. He is a transformed man. Did he do all this all by himself? No! The fingerprints of God are all over this man. That's not nonsense. That's evidence. I wouldn't call it evidence. I'd call it trading one drug for another. Oh, come on! And I prefer the drugs taken by deadheads. At least you know you're hallucinating. Please. Please, come on. Thank you. There we go. Thank you so much for coming along. Excuse me one moment. Hey there, pretty lady. Dan, so wonderful. Thank you very much. Thank you. So wonderful. Great victory, Pastor. You just demolished him. Thank you, thank you. Yeah, absolutely. You must be Gwen's dad. Yeah, that's right. Jim Hunt. Petty Chief, U.S. Navy retired. We've met in church. Of course, of course. Oh! When you talked about Carl, so moving. Thank you. Well, he is an inspiration, Gwen. Nice job, buddy! I framed it beautifully. I even got kind of a nice halo around your head from the stage light. Thanks, Jerry! Hey there, fellow traveler. What? Whoa! I couldn't help but hear you've been on the road, so to speak. Whoa! Okay... Honey, Honey Foster. On tour from '81 to '92. Always find each other, huh? Yeah. That was a long time ago. One minute you're in a van with nine people, tripping out of your gourd, and the next you're campus security guard. Churchy guy. It's weird. So what's up, man? Well, uh... I gotta... It was very nice to meet you. Oh. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Rock on, man. Gwen and I have been batting around an idea for the past couple of weeks. And we'd like to share it with you. Please do. We'd like to open a movie theater, you know. Where we could offer up a full schedule of all Christian movies. From The Ten Commandments to The Passion of the Christ. Mmm-hmm. I think it'd be perfect for the City on a Hill. Yes. Who created this image? Oh, that was Gwen. Quickly. I did it really quickly. It is lovely. It's beautiful, Gwen. Absolutely beautiful. You like it? We could open with one, and then we could expand it into a chain across the... Carl! Carl, come down here. Don't be shy. Really very beautiful. You have a very talented wife here. Oh... Thank you. Yes. Well, I hope I didn't embarrass you, Carl, by getting you to stand up and present yourself. No, no. If it helps, I think that... It's one of those... He knows full well he's an inspiration, right? A beacon of hope. Yeah, he absolutely is. But you know, as for this... Pastor Dan! Nice performance. Oh, thank you, Paul. A cheap shot, here and there. Well, even God's not above a cheap shot now and then. Whatever it takes, Paul. This is Carl Vandermeer. Ah, yes, the deadhead. And his wife, Gwen. Hello. Hello. Yes. And this is her father Jim over here. - How do you do? - Now, Pastor. I traditionally invite my opponent for a post-debate nightcap. What? A drink. My office. Paul, I'm not sure about that. I have a sermon to prepare in the morning. I'll help you write it. Bring your deadhead! This is a great opportunity, son. I want you to make sure that you get this to Pastor Dan. Now don't forget. It's real important. Okay. You're not coming? I wouldn't break bread with that dirty little atheist if he was the last man on Earth. There you go. Thank you very much. Uh, no, I don't... Oh. Right. Of course. So, Pastor. A confession. Mmm-hmm. I lied. I don't actually invite evangelists I debate to share a drink with me. Really? However, you're different. A worthy opponent. Cheers. Cheers. So, there's something I'd like to propose. Mmm-hmm? What's that? We're both authors of best-selling books. Mmm-hmm. What if we co-authored one? Oh! A book-length series of conversations about our opposing world views. We go to my lake house, record ourselves, just talking. Write the whole thing in a week. It's beautiful up there. Mmm. I'm sure. I've even got a title. The Great Divide by Paul Blaylock and Pastor Daniel Day. What do you think? Well, Paul, I'm a very busy man. I have my church, my City on the Hill project, my own books. But, I must admit, it's a very interesting idea. My agent thought of it. Could bring a lot of non-believers to Christ. Or believers to reason. From the virgin birthers to the Muhammad flew-to-heaven-on- a-winged-horse variety. What do you think, Carl? Would you read a book like that? Uh, yeah. I read books all the time about... How do you think we should go about constructing this conversation? Begin at the beginning. Where does religion come from? I'm assuming you don't believe it comes from God. I agree with several of our Deist founding fathers. It comes from fear. Belief in the supernatural arose to protect us from the frightening unknown. Whether it be volcanoes, thunder, lightning, earthquake. Death. Evil. Somewhere along the line, the supernatural became God. And the unknown became Satan. Hmm. But even if that were so, Paul, the question remains. Who is the ultimate judge between good and evil? Perfect. Ourselves? You see, without God, everything is permitted. It's all just random chance. No real reason to do good. I mean, what's to stop me from killing poor Carl here? Fantastic. The collaboration begins! Or you? Oh! What happened? Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What did you do? Professor Blaylock? Oh... I'm gonna call 911. No, no, no. Don't do that. He's not breathing, Dan. Oh! Why are you doing that? Oh! Dan. Hey. Pastor Dan? Yeah? What are we doing? Get in the car. Are you okay to drive? Get in the car, Carl. Carl. You know that the groundbreaking for the City on the Hill is in a few days. Cathedral, medical college, law school. All of that will turn to dust. Don't you see? Okay. Carl. You do understand? This is in God's hands. 911. What's your emergency? Yeah. Yes, I just heard a gunshot coming from Paul Blaylock's office, about 10 minutes ago. Where are you located? On campus. Who am I speaking with? What? What is your name, sir? I... Uh... What is your name? Carl! What's going on? Ah! I thought we were getting broken into. That dang bat. Mom said if you saw it again you should kill it. You know that over a million bats have died because of something called White-nose Syndrome or something? Uh-huh. It's where this fungus, this white fungus that grows in their caves, infects their nose and then they die because of it, and scientists really don't know why. Where do you learn all this stuff? School and Wikipedia. Oh! Okay, okay. Mom said you have to kill it. I know she did. What were you doing up so late, anyway? Studying. For Sunday school? No, "school" school. I think it got you right in the face. Right there. Three. Oh, my gosh, this is amazing. That feels great on my abs. This was a nice place and you guys came in and... Let's go to your bedroom. What's he doing to my dishes? Oh, my God. I've found my true mate and you know it. Never. Even now, the evil seed of what you have done germinates within you. You disgust me! You are nothing but an animal. Daniel? Yes? Who is this? This is a friend. A friend? That's right. Do you know what a friend is, Daniel? A friend is someone who knows all of your secrets. But still wants only the best for you. But for that to happen, we must work together. Very closely. You understand what I'm saying? Daniel? Daniel? Daniel. The unknown became Satan. Here, Dan. Thanks, Bedelia. No problem. Honey. Are you going to be all right? Sure. Sure. Okay. It's nice to finally have you over, Pastor Dan. There's a powerful force at work tonight, Jerry. We have entered the physical dimension of true spiritual warfare. And in the midst of that chaos, God has led me to you. Home of Christian talk. - Get your Jesus freak on. Rise and shine. Angie? Time to wake up. Hey. You okay? Yeah. Yeah? Yeah, I just... I had a bad dream. Aw! What happened in your dream? I don't remember. How many people do you know are calling Spider-Man a Christian parable? Because I have to say... Thanks again for taking care of that awful thing last night. I know you didn't want to. The bat, Carl. The one you killed? Mmm! Yes. What did Dan think about our proposal? Mmm. I think that he... I think he really liked it. Good. Good. Dad will be happy about that. Yeah... Um, Gwen, listen. I need to... Mom? It's 10 to. Oh! Time! Let's energize! Let's go, team. Late, late, late, late, late. You better not be sleeping during service, young lady. And the Purity Ball is tonight, how are you going to stay awake for that? I'm awake. You do remember you're taking her to the Purity Ball tonight, right? Purity Ball. Yes. What is that again? Carl. The heavens declare Oceans cry out They want to know The truth of your word Camera two, medium shot on the band, please. Camera three, tight shot on the drums. Holy, holy, holy, holy God I wanna know you I wanna see you I wanna see Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Welcome to the Church of the Third Millennium! Please be seated. Camera one, pick up Pastor Dan. I have some very sad news. Last night I had the great honor of debating Professor Paul Blaylock over at the university. I just got word that late last night Professor Blaylock was discovered in his campus office, the victim of an attempted suicide. Doctors at the university operated on him all through the night. And they removed a bullet shot from one of his beloved antique pistols. And as we gather here, in the warm embrace of each other's hearts and Jesus Christ, he lies in a deep coma. Our prayers are with him and his family in this hour of need. My sermon today was going to be about strengthening our community. But this incident has touched me so deeply inside, I want to discuss and talk about something else. Spiritual despair. Music. Give Dan his music. Sometimes, we are not what we appear to be. To our friends and family we seem happy and content. But inside, deep inside, we're lonely. Lonely and empty. Isolated from God. A vehicle for darkness. No one knows our secret. Listen to my words. I am declaring war on this crisis of the Spirit! It is as evil as any cancer we will find! Its only purpose is our total destruction. Is that what Jesus wants from us? No! Is that what God wants from us? No! No! He wants us to fight back! To fight back! I'm asking each of you now to light a spark in your heart. A spark that will grow into a mighty flame that will chase away this darkness and bring on the light! We must fight this evil! We will fight this evil! And we will win! We will win! We will win! Amen! Amen! I just wish that everybody could hear what was said in there, you know? It's so important... Carl, you just had no idea what was going to happen when you were with him last night, did you? The point is, the man had nothing to live for. I mean, if you think your only destiny is to be worm food, you might as well off yourself. Carl, could I have a word? Oh, hey, Jim. Gwen. Jerry, hey, let me just barge in here. I gotta teach an art class in literally one minute. So, I'll see you at home at 12:20. Okay. Okay, bye. I want to help you but you've got to come with me. Just smile and pretend nothing's wrong. What are you talking about? I mean right now. Hey. See you, Jim. Jerry. Hey, what's going on? No talking, just moving. Jerry? Wait a minute. Where are you parked? Ezekiel. Go, go, go. Help me, it hurts! That's because you aborted your baby, Jan. You're going to hell! Jerry... Come on! Where's your car, Carl? Left. I'll drive. I'll drive. I'll drive. Give me the keys! Okay, okay, okay. Keys. What's going on, Jerry? Pastor Dan told me everything. He did? And if you listen to me carefully and do what I say... Okay. ...I think everything will work out just fine. Okay. Okay. Please tell me this was all a big mistake, right? It was an accident, you know? And putting the gun in his hand? Was an even bigger mistake, right? It was just a panicked moment. It just happened very quickly. You're willing to go on the record? With the police? Yes. I am. I will. Good. Okay. Here's the thing, Carl. Okay. Pastor Dan wasn't in that room. Right. What? He wanted to call the cops. But he didn't. You know why? Why? Because he loves you, Carl. And he wants to protect you. The only way for this to work out okay is for you to just admit what you did, and leave him out. What I did? Me? What? Yeah, what you did. You shot that guy and tried to make it look like a suicide. No, Jerry, I... Carl, I've gotten hot under the collar... Dan shot the professor! ...when Bedelia was doing that thing at the barbeque, you saw me go crazy. None of this happened, Jerry. But shooting someone? Pull the van over right now, okay? I would never shoot someone! I want you out of my van! Right now, Jerry! Fine. What are we doing here? Let's go. Jerry? Hey. You remember the story of Abraham and Isaac? From Bible study? Yeah, the father and son who go out... God told Abraham to take his son Isaac out into the desert and make a sacrifice of him! Abraham loved his son with all his heart. But Abraham loved God even more. Jerry, Isaac was innocent! And God changed his mind and he told Abraham to let him go. The whole thing was a test. Don't confuse the issue! You right or left-handed? Huh? Answer me! I'm left-handed. All right. Let's get down on our knees, and ask for forgiveness. Now. Come on. Come on. Come on, here we go. Jerry. Close your eyes, Carl. Close your eyes. Okay. Just... Jerry. I said close them! Okay, okay, Jerry. Jerry. This is... What are you doing? We're friends, man. Okay? Our kids are friends. I let you run the grill at my barbeque! Why are you doing this? Why are you making me do this, Carl? Someone's got to stop you from taking this church over a cliff! In this mission, I am as Abraham was. Huh? Carl? Carl, what just happened? What's going on? - Hello? - Angie, where are you? I don't know! I just woke up. Mom, I think Carl just killed someone! No, no, no. Mom, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait, Mom... Gwen? Carl? Yeah. You said you'd be home at 12:20. She has no shoes. You know that? She hasn't decided on her shoes yet. Okay, but I... I think we might have to call you back. Is everything okay? No, fine. Okay. So, are you driving now? Where are you exactly? Who is that? That's Jerry, sweetheart. Jerry Hobson. Pop the trunk, honey. It's Pep-pep! The next thing I know he had a gun on my head, she popped out of the van, and I hit him over the head with a rock. Yeah, I had to drag him to the van. He was gonna kill me, he had the gun right on me, man. Oh, wow. That is insane. I know, Jim, it's completely... It's screwed up! Watch the language! It just doesn't really make sense. What I mean is, you've gone completely insane. Well, I mean... I know Dan would never do a thing like that. Not in a million years. That's the thing. Accident or no. Gwen, I stood there and watched him do it with my own eyes. The way I watched Jerry Hobson take me out to the desert to murder me. Jerry. Jerry-and-Bedelia Jerry? Yes. He did, Mom. That is ridiculous. No, Jim. Come on. Why did you bring him? I told you not to tell anyone. She brought me because you're off in some kind of acid flashback la-la-land! - Okay. Okay. Okay. - Come on. You dreamed that Pastor Dan shot that professor, and now you've hallucinated this thing with Jerry Hobson! Honey! That is it! What? You had a bad dream this morning! This whole thing with Dan that you think happened, was that bad dream that you couldn't remember! Yes! Gwen... That is it! And the whole thing with Jerry, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. Do you know that Bedelia told me Jerry's been dieting recently? That can really mess with your blood sugar levels. I know. I can get very irritable... Gwen, he went completely... He went nuts! Okay? He went completely... Am I right? He was really scary. Crazy! Honey. Honey, nobody's going to hurt you. You have messed with this child's head just the way you've messed with your own! Honey, why don't you tell Dan about your dream? He'll understand. People have bad dreams all the time. Just talk to him about it. Are you even listening to me? Before the Purity Ball tonight. You listen to me, son. When I was in the Navy, I could look into a man's eyes and tell when he was hiding something. And you, my friend, are hiding something. So, whatever's going on, I need you to tell me about it. I need you to tell me straight, and I mean right now. Please, Carl. All right. But I... I have to pee first. Hey, come on! Chicken! Let's go! Leave a message for him. Can I help you? I met you the other night. At the auditorium. Oh! Hey! There's the guy! What's up, man? Oh. You're here for Professor Blaylock. I need to talk to you. Holy crap! You fraking kidding me? The pastor? Yeah. The Church of the Third Millennium Pastor who was on this campus just last frackin' night? There's a security camera on the other side of that building. It would have seen him and I both leaving right after it happened. Uh... Ooh... If the police would look at that... No. Uh-uh. What do you mean no? No. That was one of the first things they checked early this morning, man. Okay. Here he comes. And there he goes. What the... No! That's not what happened! Yeah, are you sure? Yeah, of course I'm sure. I was there! You've got to fix this, man. Make it how it happened! Come on! I can't fix it, man. I can't fix this, this is the way it is, okay? Could somebody have tampered with this? Could it have been changed? If they knew how to edit it, I guess. Use old footage. Alter the timestamp. They'd still have to get in here first. I was here until 10:00, okay? After that nobody till 7:00 in the morning. That's when I showed up. Well, it was more like 7:40. Because after that thing last night I had to go home and just relax. Who else can get here? Oh, man! Almost a hundred people can get in here. Security professionals, like us. And the tech guys. You know, if something goes wrong with the equipment. Yeah. Jerry Hobson? I'm at an intersection. I said "Jesus, help me. Please, show me a sign." And at that exact moment, the light turned green. And I turned right. And do you know what was down the street? The Church of the Third Millennium. That was Jesus telling me I had to get intimate with God. And that the way was through Dan Day. Thank you, Jesus! ...and I met three people that day who changed my life. Hello? Hey, it's Officer Bill. Hey, broheim. ...he told me God had a plan for me... Hear you got a photo? Yeah. And Angie who's the first person that ever made me feel really needed. Oh, and one other. The guy I turned my life over to, Jesus Christ. Bingo. Hey there, you two! Good to see you. Good to see you. Great to see you. Pastor. Please, sit down. Make yourself at home now. There you go. Dan, do you need anything else? No, I'm all right, Bedelia. Don't worry about me. Thank you very much. Nice to see you, Bedelia. Hey, listen. Thanks for coming by today. How are we doing, anyway? Always awesome! Good, good. Yeah. But it's been a strange day today. Hey, is there something wrong with Bedelia? Well, I don't know how to say this... Is this about Carl? Apparently Carl attacked Jerry. Out at the quarry. Oh, my goodness! Oh, for Pete's sake! So, Bedelia's just a little bit upset. Jerry's okay. He just got a few stitches in his head. Oh! He's not angry. He's just very, very concerned for Carl. This is all so strange. We saw Carl at lunch, and he was talking... Oh, you saw him today? After church? Yeah. He thinks Jerry attacked him. He's out of his mind. Well, this incident with Professor Blaylock has affected Carl very deeply. Very deeply indeed. Tell me, does he... Did he have any family history? Like genealogy? Paranoia. Depression. Violence. I wouldn't be surprised. Well, in any case, I think this has sent Carl into a very dark place. It's the very same thing I was talking about in my sermon this morning. Spiritual crisis. At this moment in time, Carl is lost. He's adrift. Should we call the police? No, no. I wouldn't do that. It's much better that he should be in his own community rather than sitting in a jail cell. We have all the resources here to take care of him. In fact, I shall counsel him myself. Now, I'm going to give you Jerry Hobson's cell phone number. It's very important to let him know about Carl's whereabouts. Absolutely. Otherwise, well, suicide by police. It's a very real thing. Right. It means purposefully drawing fire from an officer of the law. Let's pray together. Come on. Oh. The Screen of Many Colors. You got it. Our proposal. Oh, yes, yes. I've been meaning to read that. I will pay full attention to it. Dear Jesus, we call upon you. I pray to you, dear Jesus, to take the souls of Gwen and Jim in your arms. In your loving arms, embrace this family for they have lost a sheep named Carl. He is adrift. He is broken. Bring Carl back to us. That Pastor's lying! Blaylock wasn't suicidal! I have known Paul for almost 30 years, and I have never seen him depressed. This is insane. I'm just going to talk to the police, I'm just going to tell them... Wait, wait, wait. Half the force worships Pastor Dan. They're down at the cathedral practically every day doing whatever it is you people do down there. What if you walk in there and they arrest you? I don't know. Whatever you do, better follow the Boy Scouts' code. Be prepared. What? My chameleon got out. Anyway, if there's jail time involved, this always helps. Trust me on that. Oh! Yeah, I don't know if that's a good idea. Been clean for a long time, so... I hear you, man. But life gets rough. My frackin' Pearl Jam guitar tech boyfriend just broke up with me. He's been on the road for six months. Guess how long it's been since I got laid? Six months? My nerves are like a cat with its tail in the wringer. And I'm not even going to prison. No. No, no, no. We don't know that that's happening. Anyway, you'll be fine staying clean in there, right? No sex. No drugs. Just like church. So, while there's still time... Oh! Oh! I'm sorry. No, it's okay. There you are, you little bastard. Howdy, officer! Jim Hunt. Petty Chief, U.S. Navy retired. Are you familiar with the Blaylock incident this morning? The suicide at the USW? You want Detective Peale. Wonderful. Thank you. What am I looking at here, sir? That belongs to me. I passed it on to Pastor Dan Day last night. Today, I found it in his office. Now you might want to question him about the blood. I'll open an investigation. But as this is ongoing, we need you to keep this to yourself. Standard procedure, okay? Roger that. Hey, can I ask you something? What's that? Were you ever, you know, at a show, and somehow you just started to believe that the Dead were controlling everything? You know... I mean, not just the music, but the tiny little details, you know? Yeah! I feel that way right now! I know! Except, do you want to know what is what? What is what? I'm the one controlling everything! Ooh! Yeah. Control. This song, the clouds, the sunlight. You. Me? This... This van with the Virgin Mary on it. I'm controlling it right now. I'm... Oh, Virgin Mary. No, no! Ow! Get out of the car! Let's go! No! No, no. No, I'm not the guy! I'm not the guy! You got the wrong guy! Get off Carl! Carl! Carl! I'm just saying you got the wrong guy! - Call for help! - Call for help! Oh! Frack you! God says to Noah, "I'm going to flood the Earth. "So, I'm going to need you to build a ship "to save yourself, and your animals." Hi. How are you? Now, Noah felt something. What did he feel? Yeah? Good? Good, yeah. But Noah also felt doubt. Because Noah had never seen rain before. So, before the flood, how did God water the Earth? He watered it from the ground up. Okay? With mist. Yeah? Are you talking about steam from volcanoes? 'Cause there was rain for a long time before people were on the Earth. And it came from ice comets. Okay, I don't really know about ice comets, but what I do know is that the heart of worship is surrender. And a surrendered people always obey God's word. You know, sweetheart, that class is a gift. You're not just learning about scripture in there. You're learning how to be a member of a community. And that's for the rest of your life. And I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm coming down a little heavy but I just want you to respect that. There are lots of girls in this world who don't have what you have. And they get into all sorts of very, very hurtful things. Maybe I shouldn't go to the Purity Ball tonight. Mom, it's a father-daughter dance, and if Carl's not gonna be there, I don't want... Okay, this is not about Carl! He's coming home. He'll be there. He'll take you. There's no reason to think that... Biscuits! Sweetheart, would you get that for me? No reason to think that he won't take you. That's probably him right now. Hello? Mom, it's Betty. She saw our car, and it's in an accident. What? Carl Vandermeer, Caucasian, age 39, 5'10"... Uh-huh. Where's Carl? Where's Carl? Excuse me? Excuse me, officer. That's, uh... That's my family minivan right there. Are you Mrs. Vandermeer? I'm Mrs. Vandermeer. Mrs. Vandermeer, we, uh... Where's my husband? There seems to have been a carjacking, and possibly a kidnapping. Where is my husband? Well, we're trying to figure that out right now. I'm sorry, who's this woman? Hey. Well, she was in the vehicle when the incident occurred. You were in my car? Yeah. What were you doing in my car? Ah. Just Hanging out. What were you doing with my husband? Ma'am, I'm going to need you to calm down. What did you do with my husband? No, I don't need to calm down. I'm a custodian of the law. Wait! I am obviously not the problem here! We hear you. She looks like a drug addict. Have you talked to her? Is that what this is about? Mom. Is this about drugs? Mom. Were you trying to get my husband to take drugs? From what I can tell, your Pastor shot that professor. Hey, hey, hey! Mom! Mom! I am armed and dangerous! Okay? Mom! I have a sword of the Spirit! Mom! It is the word of God! Mom! Let me at her! Let me fight her! Relax. Relax! Settle down. I get it now. I get it. Paul. Can you hear me? It was quite a night last night. Quite a night. Might be a while before we get to write that book together. I know you were probably upset with me. I was, too. I was afraid. For the first time in a long time, I was afraid. But then I remembered something. The big picture. You see, this was no accident. Oh, no. Something wanted this to happen. Mmm-hmm. You call Satan the unknown. The trap was set. And then, just at the right moment... Oh! He's a tricky one. All the pieces were perfectly arranged. You, me, Carl. Carl the wanderer. The lost sheep. Hmm. Sometimes a sheep can be a wolf sent on a mission to betray the shepherd. To destroy him and his flock. Leave them all bleeding on the ground. But we don't have to let that massacre happen, Paul. And you. You. You're our most valuable soldier. I know you want to wake up, because you think there's nothing after this. You're afraid just like I was. But you don't have to be. All you have to do is accept Christ into your heart as your savior. Accept his gift of eternal life. I know you want this, Paul. Give me a sign. Eh? Heavenly Father, we thank you for taking Paul into Your loving arms. He has earned his place in Your kingdom. You have written his name in Your book. Thank you, Father. Thank you. You're up. And feeling good, yes? I am Jorge Guzman de Vaca. I'm Carl. Vandermeer. I know exactly who you are. Welcome to San Miguel de Allende, Mr. Vandermeer. Sammy... What? Three hours north of Mexico City. Nice view, right? Oh, man. I'm... I'm in Mexico? Yes! As my guest. But I'm sorry for the method of invitation, and the fact that I had to drug you for your journey. But this was done merely in the interest of your own safety. You see, there are very dangerous men looking for you. And this is what a friend does. A friend? Yes. Friend. A friend is that man between two of which there are no secrets. But if there was maybe one tiny secret, that would be fine, because a friend trusts his friend to keep that secret. Yes? Mmm-hmm. Yeah, I guess. And if there is a man that you don't trust to keep that secret, then that man is not your friend. No, no, no. But what is this? Come on, follow me. That's it! Oh, that's it! Thank you! Don't touch me! Thank you! I'm sorry, but that's... Where did you get this? I have been following your Pastor Dan for some time now. How did... Why? Why? Because when you follow a preacher, eventually you're gonna get something amazing! Okay. Okay. But don't worry about that. Please, take a seat here. Okay. Okay. Wow. Mr. Vandermeer. I would like very much for you to write down some things that I say. You think we can try that? Okay. What things? Just your own words. Ready? Let's begin. Okay. "I, Carl Vandermeer, being of sound mind..." All right. "...do hereby proclaim that I did witness the terrible, "unprovoked shooting of the innocent unbeliever Professor Paul Blaylock "by one Pastor Daniel Day." Daniel Day. "And did also witness Mr. Day "place the weapon in question in Mr. Blaylock's hand "so as to make it look like a suicide." Sorry, I just got to tell you that with this video, this could all be over. Yes. Please sign and date. I might not even have to go to prison! Absolutely. That's the whole idea. Pastor Dan, he might not have to go to prison! He could plead like accidental manslaughter or whatever. Everybody wins. But we're not quite done with the writing part. Just one more. Hey, by the way, you're doing great, man. Would you like some imported peanuts? Thanks. Great. Ready? Here we go. "I, Carl Vandermeer, being of sound mind... "Do hereby proclaim, et cetera, et cetera, "that because he was keeping people from knowing "the holy love of God in heaven, "thereby banishing them to the brimstone-scented headquarters "of Lord Lucifer Satan..." Ooh! "...I attempted to end the life of the unbeliever Professor Paul Blaylock "by shooting him in the head." What's going on here? Mr. Vandermeer, let me tell you about where my wealth is born. Roads. Houses. Swimming pools. Schools. I build. And now I have the chance to build an entire city in the north with cheap labor from the south. A billion-dollar City on a Hill. And with your two confessions, I can go give our friend Dan something we all want, a choice. He chooses this paper, he works with me and prospers. He chooses that one, and he will see his city and his life collapse before his very eyes. Sign, date. Eat, drink, swim. You are my guest. Please enjoy. If you cannot tell, the place is beautiful. Of course, you cannot leave the grounds. I can't? For how long? How long does it take to build a city? And what if I don't? Then I will introduce you to my cat. It's not a little soft, furry black and white cat like maybe you have in the United States of America. This is a special cat. It has nine tails. And if you do not write down exactly what I say, I will beat you with this cat until blood pours out of every hole in your body. Okay. I got it. Then I will nail you to a cross and I will throw you over the mountainside. I believe this calls for a toast. My friend, to the City on a Hill. I came as soon as I heard. Yeah. Gwen, she's... Well, see for yourself. Gwen? Gwen? Oh! Hey. Oh. Ha! Oh, I was just trying to get my mind off of, you know, whatever. So... Doing a little painting. So I see. What is this, Gwen? What are you doing here? Um... Oh. You're going to think I've lost my mind. No. No, no, no, Gwen. Of course not. This is... This is... Okay. Well, I think that Carl has been taken away by drug dealers. Who may or may not be demonically possessed. But it's more than that. I think that the devil is trying to use these drugs. He's using drugs, he's using women, he's using sex. He's trying to pull him, he's trying to pull him. He's pulling Carl into this state of confusion. He's pulling him away from the family. And he's... It's like what you've been talking about. It's this darkness, these whole dark forces that are waging this spiritual warfare against us. And they took Professor Blaylock and they're trying to take my Carl. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. But watching over everything is the all-seeing eye of God. It was supposed to be the eye on the dollar bill. Well, you've captured it perfectly. God may test us, but he always watches over us. Always. Everything that happens to Carl is in God's perfect hand. Nothing happens by accident. Everything's going to be okay in the end. Carl is in God's hands now. All we can do is trust. Trust and wait. Oh. Thank you so much for being here. I'm gonna get paint on you. There, there, there. Okay. There you go. Oh. Mom? Oh! Hey there, kiddo. Look at you. Sweetheart. Wow. You are going to knock 'em dead at the Purity Ball. Beautiful. I'll take good care of her. Thank you. Angie, do you promise to God, yourself and your family that you will stay pure in your thoughts and actions until the day you marry? Well done. Well done. Your belly is a mound of grain surrounded by lilies. Your breasts are like fawns, twins of the gazelle. That's nice. You don't seem like a poet kind of guy. Many men are not what they seem, Mr. Vandermeer. Like your pastor. He's a funny one, right? I mean, I've been phoning him constantly since last night to make him a very attractive offer. Yes. And yet, silence. Why do you think that is? I think my wife's in love with him. That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. I know. You do not deserve this kind of torment. You're a good man in a cruel world. A banquet of oranges. A knife and the son. Hey. It's time for bed. You can bring your Bible. Oh, help me, Jesus. Oh, God. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop, Jesus. I have sinned, I have sinned, I have sinned. Oh! Oh! Oh, yes... Thank you. The works thy hand hath made Then sings my soul My Savior God, to thee How great thou art How great thou art Then sings my soul My Savior God, to thee How great thou art How great thou art Amazing what you can get away with when you put the word "pastor" in front of your name! I've been looking everywhere for you. Should I call the police? That won't be necessary. You know what, Pastor Dan? Oh, my goodness. You're full of crap! What are you doing? I'd just like to say that you are all welcome to the Church of the Third Millennium. Hypocrite! Stop lying about Blaylock! Just as you are welcome on this planet that was created and fine-tuned just for you. Shut up! Stop that! Hello? Hello, my friend. I believe it is time for us to talk. I have some things I would like to show you. Anywhere. - Tell the truth! - Tell the truth! Anytime. I am ready. Meet me please on the City on a Hill. Alone. You will see my face. - Tell the truth! - Tell the truth! Two, three, five, seven, one, pound. Two, three, five, seven, one, pound. Who are you? How did you get in here? Praise! I'm here to talk to you about the gospel of our risen Lord. No! You cannot be here! Mr. Jorge will be very, very mad! You sure? You must leave now! It will just take a moment of your time. Out! Okay. Out! Uh... Pardon. Uh... Am I in... Is this Mexico? - Gwen? - Carl? Hi. Oh, are you hurt? No, no. I'm fine. Thank goodness. I know, thank God! Oh, Carl. I have proof. Proof of what? Over that thing we talked about yesterday. Carl, are you dreaming again? What? No more dreaming, Carl! Well, I have it on DVD. Carl. So, you can watch it for yourself. I'm calling Jerry. I mean, I'm calling Dan. No. No, don't. You mustn't call him. Under no circumstances do you call him, okay? I've already called the police, they're on their way over. Gwen? Gwen? And say goodbye to the sunshine, we have gray skies on the way. Peter, back to you. And there's a new development in our story about University of the Southwest professor Paul Blaylock. Doctors report that the professor is now awake. Saying it wasn't a suicide attempt at all, but rather an accidental shooting. Well, I feel fine. Cheers, and many thanks to these fine professionals. It's good to be back. And you won't believe who he's pointing the finger at. Find out after the break. Carl Vandermeer? Oh, thank God. For fuck's sake. Watch your language! Hey, broheim. Hey. I got you an egg salad. Jerry, it's Gwen, again. Um... I wanna make sure you have Carl. So, yeah, just give me a call if you can when you get this. Mom? Yeah? Is Carl coming home? Yes, he is! Any minute now. I just want to know what's going on. Well. Here's what's going on. Ha-ha! I was just thinking, maybe we could have a party tonight. It's gonna be awesome. Calling all Vandermeers. Hey, Pep-pep. Hey. Hi. Hi, darling. So, where is he? Sweetheart, can we have just a minute? Yeah, sure. He was still ranting about, I don't know what. But he's alive! That's the thing that matters. I'm just praying that Jerry Hobson gets to him first. What? Jerry Hobson? I thought we agreed you were going to tell the police! Don't you remember what Dan said? "Suicide by police"? Gwen, I don't think Dan has been telling us the truth. Jerry, this is not right, man. Come on, this is fuck... Frickin' crazy. Okay? He's awake, the professor's awake, Jerry. He can tell you everything. He'll explain it like I told you. And you're supposed to be a cop! Hey, I can show you guys something. Look at this, right here. On that DVD. This has got everything on it. You can see with your own eyes. Huh? Deception. Always with the deception, Carl. I took you to the hospital, Jerry! How about that? Up here, we're gonna banana left. Jerry. God, Jerry. Jerry. Remember in men's group how we talked about forgiveness? Huh? God! How Jesus and that harlot lady, and those guys, the Pharisees, they were going to stone her for adultery? Clear. Hey, hey. Jesus! For fuck's sake, Jerry! I told you to watch your language! Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. And Jesus said, "Don't judge," whatever, "lest..." You'll be silent! Give me your lighter. I don't smoke. Matches? Carl. You got matches? No. Gwen made me quit smoking a year ago. Remember when Gwen made me quit smoking, Jerry? Give me that thing, the gun. My gun? What for? The electric... The taser gun! You're gonna shock him? Just give it here. Why are you doing this, Jerry? Huh? "The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet. "They were bound and cast alive into a lake of fire." For the love of God, man I'm sorry, Carl. I really am. This is real hard for me. Well, then, Jerry, let's just forget about it. But you're being controlled by evil. And when you're facing evil, you got no choice. You got to destroy it. Is this the safety? No. Look, just give it to me. Careful with that fucking thing, man! Language! Daniel. Daniel. So good of you to come visit me here. The city where dreams come true. This city will be a sanctuary for the children of God. Yes. A lovely home for you and your flock. We want the same thing, Daniel. Just as I have been telling you, I am your friend. Oh? And what is it you want from me, friend? You have no business here. Oh, but I do. You see, I want to be your partner in creating this beautiful place. I want to be involved, deeply involved. Never. This city shall exist for the sole purpose of keeping you out. That breaks my heart, Daniel. Maybe this will help to convince you. You vile creature. Daniel, accept my sincere apologies. It seems our little friend Carl... In the name of Jesus I command you to leave this place at once. You shall tempt me no more with your wicked fruit! You need to calm down, Daniel. No! I am the anointed servant of God! And I tell you to be silent! Hey! You don't want to do that! I cast you out! God. What did you... Satan. You may have this body. But you will never have my soul. ...the dangers of temptation and the rewards of obedience. This is the end of Chapter Two. Chapter Three. How does God test us? Daniel. You. Daniel. I knew you wouldn't forsake me. Dan. Whoa! Oh! Can you hear me? Oh, I hear you loud and clear. Stay calm! Oh, I'm calm. Okay. Hello? I'm as calm as a lake on a windless day. Hello? I'm here. Hello? I'm here. I'm here. Hello? Please, don't go. Don't forsake me. Not now. 911. What is your emergency? Yeah, I need an ambulance. I'm here at the Serabosa Flats. Please. At the City on a Hill site and he's... He's losing a lot of blood. I'm here. Okay, sir. I'm going to need you to stay on the line while I get that. Just one question. Can you answer me one question? Is my name in the book? What? Am I going to Heaven? Yeah. Sure you are. Thank you. Oh, thank you. You may tell them, madam When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound to the promised land You may tell them, Adam When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for the promised land I weep, I mourn And I move Slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for Canaan's land You may tell them, father When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for the promised land You may tell them, my mother When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for the promised land I weep, I mourn And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for Canaan's land You may tell them, my brother When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for the promised land You may tell them, sweet sister When you see them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim And I'm bound for the promised land I weep, I mourn And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim I'm bound for Canaan's land Praise the Lord Thank you, Jesus Prove it to God Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm gonna tell you a story About this time Found in the second chapter of Acts This is verse which the prophet Joel spoke of I'm tired, I'm drunk, and I'm real high In the spirit of God Wait a minute Did you hear what I said? I said I'm drunk Lord Jesus And I'm real high Lord, I got something that your money can't buy Yeah, yeah, yeah Judge me in the morning Judge me at night Better be sure you Judging me right Hypocrites talking Praising Cain Oh, to be somewhere praising My God's name Down on my knees Saying a prayer Ooh, good God, yeah Drunk right there Said I'm drunk And I'm real high Lord, I got something that your money can't buy I don't have to Rob and steal Ooh, I got something And I know it's real Listen, young people I'm gonna tell you the truth Get that fine and holy ghost That's all you'll need Listen, all people I ain't gonna tell you no lie Real good feeling You get high Said I'm drunk And I'm real high Lord, I got something that your money can't buy Oh, yeah This is what the spirit is trying to check Thank you, Jesus I'm drunk and I'm real high off the spirit of God Yeah |
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