God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness

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1

[flames crackling]

[woman narrating] Sometimes

all it takes is a spark.

Something very small.

But the spark becomes a flame.

And if that flame spreads, the

power can be so overwhelming

it transforms everything

around it.

[people chattering]

[female newscaster] We begin with breaking

news from Hope Springs, Arkansas.

[male newscaster] People are up in arms,

speaking out against what they believe...

[female newscaster 2] ...only religious

leader who refused to abide the mandate.

David Hill, you're under arrest.

Contempt of court.

You failed to produce your

sermons upon court order.

- Please put your hands behind your back.

- [handcuffs ratcheting]

[man] The state is

overstepping its bounds.

- [police radio chatter]

- [siren wailing]

[woman] A subpoena of sermons

is needless and unprecedented.

[man 2] This is a witch hunt

to silence the victim.

[male newscaster] We're seeing more

and more protests around the city

since local pastor, David Hill, was

arrested for contempt of court.

Hill refused to abide by a

controversial government mandate

to turn over transcripts of his

sermons to city officials.

And right now, a contentious

and heated free speech debate

is threatening to boil over while the

pastor sits in jail waiting for a ruling.

[footsteps]

[lock clattering]

[buzzer sounds]

Let's go.

[buzzer sounds]

Appreciate it.

- Hey.

- Jude.

[laughing]

Ah.

You wanna get

some waffles?

Of course I wanna

get some waffles.

[crowd cheering] Free Reverend Dave!

Free Reverend Dave!

Free Reverend Dave!

Free Reverend Dave!

[woman] Reverend, what do you have

to say about being released today?

I am grateful to the court

that they recognize

that this mandate

was unconstitutional.

I think this is more

of a human rights issue.

It's about our right

to see truth

and to share that truth

with others.

[woman] But considering your church is

associated with a public university,

how do you define

"truth" exactly?

Truth is a person.

The person of Jesus Christ.

It's the one truth

above all others.

What do you have to say to the people here

who are calling you an embarrassment?

[man] Jesus Christ is the one truth?

Really?

This guy just can't

help himself, can he?

This guy is a pastor who was

jailed for his beliefs.

What if it was a Jewish rabbi

that said there was one truth?

- Or a Muslim imam?

- They have that right. Freedom of worship.

In places of worship. But

Hadleigh is a state university.

See, and that's the question,

y'all.

What's a church doing on a state

campus in the first place?

We're seeing more and more

protests around the city.

Students are actually calling for the removal

of Saint James from Hadleigh campus altogether.

As the battle rages on

in Hope Springs...

[woman] A historic landmark

that has served this community

for over a century.

And now they want

the church gone.

This is what

our country has come to.

[siren wailing in distance]

[man singing on radio, faint]

You gonna ask her out,

or what?

Excuse me?

We drive all the way

out here every week,

drop off all this food.

Why don't you finally

ask the girl out?

She feeds homeless people,

Jude.

That's why

we donate the food.

Yes, but she obviously

likes you.

No way.

What's a six-letter word

for "clueless"?

Funny. You're still

working on that thing?

I'm much faster

when it's in Swahili.

Fair enough.

[chattering]

[waitress] This tab's already been paid.

You guys enjoy.

- Hey, convict.

- Hey.

Just can't stay out of the

news these days, can you?

[chuckling] Yeah, I've never had

so many people care what I think.

Well, I'm on your side.

You know that.

- Busy today, huh?

- Busy's good.

More people to feed,

the better.

Hey, thank your congregation

for all this.

Couldn't do it without y'all.

I'll see you next Saturday.

Hold up.

From last night.

Pork chops

turned out great.

Thanks.

- [car door opens]

- [bell dings]

- Told you.

- Who asked you?

[crowd shouting]

We don't want you here!

Wonder what my father

would think.

When he was a pastor, he'd leave

these doors open day and night.

Didn't matter.

Now we hire armed security

guards to protect us

from the same people we're

supposed to be ministering to.

It's just fear, David,

and it can be overcome.

You know this.

- Do you ever complain?

- You know where I come from.

I've seen my share

of struggles.

But one thing

has never changed.

God is good

all the time.

And all the time,

God is good.

[Dave] I appreciate you all braving

the angry mobs and picketers.

But even with all the noise

going on out there,

I just want to assure you that Saint James

has been around for over 150 years,

and despite what those picket signs say

out there, we're not going anywhere.

- Amen!

- Now, looking forward, I have some very good news.

Jude,

you want to come up?

I couldn't be happier

to share

that our very own

Jude Mbaye

has accepted a permanent position

with us here at Saint James

as my co-pastor.

Amen. Welcome, brother.

Thank you.

[Dave] You know, I realized tonight

that, uh, it's been a long time

since I've felt like I had

a real brother in my life.

[chuckling] David, are you

sharing your feelings?

Okay, let's not make

a big deal out of it.

I'm just saying

that I'm grateful for you.

I'm excited.

I feel the same. Now, can

we get some waffles?

[laughing]

- [alarm blaring]

- What was that?

I don't know.

[alarm continues blaring]

- Hey! Hey! Get back here!

- David!

David, no!

[sighs]

- [Dave] Ah.

- You call the police. I'll shut off the alarm.

Yeah.

Yeah, this is, uh, Reverend David Hill.

I'm a pastor at Saint James.

[beeping]

[alarm stops]

Well, no,

it's not an emergency.

It's just a... uh... It was a

broken window to the basement.

- [grunts]

- [shouts]

[alarm blaring]

Jude?

Jude?

[coughing]

Jude?

Jude!

- Oh, no.

- David.

You're gonna be okay.

All right?

- Stay with me.

- Okay.

[grunting]

Come on.

[grunting]

[grunting continues]

[grunts]

[alarm continues blaring]

[grunts]

Jude, I'm gonna get you

out of here. Okay?

- Okay.

- Stay with me.

Please, God, help me.

[grunting]

[grunting continues]

No, no. [coughing]

[coughing]

Dave.

Don't talk, brother.

Don't talk. Just stay with me.

Help is coming.

Hold on, Jude. It's okay.

[speaking Swahili]

What?

[Swahili continues]

- What are you saying? What does that mean?

- [sirens approaching]

- [exhales]

- Jude?

Jude.

- Jude?

- [horns honking]

Please, God, no.

Jude! Help!

[coughs]

Don't leave me, man.

Jude.

Jude, no.

[crying]

[siren wailing]

[siren wailing fades]

[woman]

I'm so tired of all the noise.

Everyone yelling.

On the news.

In the classroom.

Even in church.

[gasps]

I can barely hear you anymore.

Are you even there?

I hope you are.

'Cause I feel so lost, God.

I'm starting to feel pretty dumb

talking to myself

when you don't talk back,

so...

wherever you are...

I'm still here.

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