Come Sunday Page #2

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Oh, Carly.

No, no.

When did he tell you about this letter?

Two weeks.

Before you called me?

Six years, Carly.

Doesn't matter if it's six years or sixty.

The way you live, you're going to hell,

and that's forever.

Then get me saved.

I can't save you to help you

with the parole board.

- It's not the way it works.

- Can't do this kind of time anymore, man.

- Hell, I'll be 76 when I get out of here.

- I'll come back.

I'll help you through it.

But you got to do the work.

I want to help you, Uncle Quincy.

I do.

This is the only way I know.

Eh...

- I still love you, boy.

- Yeah.

I love you, Uncle Quincy. I do.

Always, always.

Remember who you get your charm from.

Carlton? You okay?

- Thanks for seeing me, Chief.

- God bless you, son.

Richard.

- Good to see you, Carlton.

- You too.

Of course, he's your uncle

and you love him dearly.

No, it's not just Uncle Quincy, it's...

half the people I grew up with

and their kids.

They're all going

in the wrong direction, backsliding.

What did I do about it?

I feel like I...

ran from home and spent my life

saving people I don't know.

You did not run.

You came here

and got into our university...

and you dedicated your life to God.

But I understand how you feel,

thinking of all those you love

but were unable to save.

When Ronnie died,

I felt just the way you do now.

Helpless and guilty.

But what in heaven's name was I gonna do?

How could I ever accept a gay son?

And you know, when we got the news

that Ronnie had killed himself...

more than the awful, awful guilt I felt

was the fact that

I had spent my whole life

healing people and getting people saved

at the Crusades and on television

and I could not bring my own son

to deliverance.

I prayed and prayed for answers.

It was the greatest test

of my faith, ever.

And when I came to understand

that it was a test...

then I was made stronger than ever.

Thank heaven, God gave me you.

I've always thought of you

as a son, Carlton.

That's what I tell folks.

You're my black son.

What year'd you get here, in '70?

- Seventy-one.

- Seventy-one.

The Holy Spirit drew me to you

the moment I saw you. Praise God.

And one day, maybe soon,

the good Lord will call me home.

But my comfort and my joy is knowing...

that you're here to lead the way.

Yes.

I don't see how you expect us to pull

something like that together, Carlton.

Look, just make a list of all the cities

I guest-preached at last year

and we take the pageant to every one.

I'm sorry, the entire choir and band?

You know how much that would cost?

Well, you know I can do arrangements

for a smaller choir, right?

And we could just use

the local church band.

Guys, I already have accounting

on my back about Azusa.

- We're incredibly over budget, Carlton.

- I'm sorry, Henry,

I can't care about that.

- It's Ben.

- Tell him I'll call back.

Do me a favor.

Would you rub his shoulders?

Do something.

We need to keep growing,

not rolling back.

Nobody's saying we need to roll back.

We're shuffling sheep,

but it's all the same flock.

If we're not reaching more people,

then I don't know.

- You want some more maple syrup?

- Sorry, my car wouldn't start.

Got here as soon as I could.

All right, so this is the one

the ad people like.

It's a mock-up, but you get the idea.

Looks good.

No?

The tears are a bit much.

And your head,

it's too big for the wording.

You should make the wording bigger

and move it over.

Or you could make your head smaller.

Yeah, Ms. Pearson, I don't think

we can make his head any smaller. It's...

I'm only saying

what no one else has the nerve to.

- You're making everybody uncomfortable.

- You mean, I'm making you uncomfortable?

You need to let go of Nicky.

She's not organized, Carlton.

You said it yourself.

She's late more than half the time.

I can't fire people

'cause you don't like 'em.

She's a single mom.

She's late because she's juggling a lot.

And chasing me around with my stupid hats?

You left it on stage.

You left another one in the parking lot.

Was that last week?

- I hate those hats.

- Then don't wear them, Gina.

What're we talking about?

Hello?

Ma?

Yeah, Ma, slow down.

What happened?

What?

What happened?

My Uncle Quincy hung himself.

Yeah...

Yeah, okay.

In some ways, Quincy raised us.

Helped me raise money to go to college.

Some from this church.

I sometimes wondered where the rest

of the money came from.

We all know he had his schemes.

But he was always making people laugh.

He'd always say,

"Remember who you get your charm from."

He never found God.

He never found God.

But I pray for him.

I pray for his soul.

It was good, what you said about Quincy.

He would have appreciated it.

I didn't realize how many stories I had.

I almost told the one about the time

he took me and Elector to the track.

At the man's memorial?

It's one of my favorites, Ma.

Ooh, I was so mad at him for that.

I never screamed so much in my life,

that horse came in.

Then I had to come back

and tell you what I'd won.

Elector knew how to keep a secret

better than you did.

You were all,

"God sees everything."

Mm-hmm.

- You told me I wasn't going to heaven.

- You were gambling.

I was six years old, Ma.

- You scared me half to death.

- Well, it worked.

- You know I went to visit him, right?

- Yeah.

He told me.

Said he was happy to see you.

He wanted me to write him a letter.

He tell you?

No, what letter?

For the Prison Board.

Vouching for him, I guess.

He said he messed up

and they were gonna revoke his parole,

but if I... if I wrote this letter,

they'd let him out.

I said no.

Why?

Letter wasn't the point.

He called me down there

to get him saved, but he wasn't ready.

I told him I'd come back and he...

He just needed more time.

More time?

He was 70 years old.

They've survived the war

and traveled hundreds of miles

to get here.

It's a scene that typifies

the Western response

to the Rwanda crises.

Few people with few resources,

o verwhelmed by millions.

The UN puts the death toll

of this genocide at 800,000,

almost half of them children.

And doctors fear that

if the situation doesn't quickly improve,

many thousands more will die here

in the coming weeks.

As one medic we spoke to said,

"Either there's hope, or there's nothing."

We've asked the medics...

Oh, Lord. Help me.

God... why?

I don't understand.

God...

Oh, my...

God, I don't know...

But I still believe. I do.

I said, "God, I don't know

how you can call yourself

a loving, sovereign God

and let these people suffer like this.

Oh, God.

None of them are saved.

They don't know Christ.

They're not born again.

And when they die,

you just suck 'em down into hell.

Oh, God.

Oh, my God...

And then I heard a voice,

as clear as my own, say...

"Is that what you think?

That we're sucking them all down

into hell when they die?"I said, "Yes."

And He said,

"What would you do about that?"

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