Ragamuffin

(man No. 1)

I am now

utterly convinced

that on Judgment Day,

the Lord Jesus

will ask one question

and only one question.

"Did you believe

that I loved you?"

[door opens]

[click]

[childish piano playing

on tape recorder]

[off key note

and music stops]

(man No. 2 on recorder)

Try it again.

[more playing]

(man No. 3)

J Everybody each

and all J

We're going

to die eventually

.0 It's no more

or less our fault' .0

J As it is our destiny J

J When my body

lies in the ruins J

J3 Of the lies

that nearly ruined me J3

[approaching car]

[horn honks]

(man No. 4)

We are here

with Rich Mullins,

one of contemporary

Christian music's

biggest stars.

Rich, welcome to the show.

Rich, we know

of your various hits.

Awesome God, Sing Your Praise

of the Lord and Elijah,

among others.

You've been at the top

of the COM charts,

had a number

of Dove Award nominations,

but I want to talk

a little bit

about the man

behind the music

so if you don't mind

will you tell us

a little bit

about how you came

to faith in Christ?

Well, Randy, I'm not

a Christian

because of a song

I heard

or a book I read,

as much as I like

to read.

Uh, I came to experience

the realness of Christ

through the people

in his church.

I'm a Christian,

not because

somebody explained the nuts

and bolts of Christianity

to me but

because people

were willing to be

the nuts and bolts.

[ringing bike bell]

[children's laughter]

(boy)

Come on,

let's go!

(Rich)

I guess you could say

my story began

in a small town

in Indiana.

My dad was a farmer

and easily,

easily the hardest

working man that I know.

Like most boys,

I grew up

wanting to be

exactly like him,

exactly like my dad.

But I discovered

at a pretty early age,

time and time again that

I wasn't really cut

out to be a farmer.

[engine stops]

(father)

Hold the light.

What's wrong

with it, Dad?

Damn light, son!

[sigh]

It's the pistons.

What did you

fill it with?

Gasoline.

Like you said.

Like I said?

Not like I said,

'cause I didn't say

I didn't say

nothing about gasoline.

Of all

the damn fool things.

Lean over here, boy.

Come here.

What's that say?

Speak up, Wayne!

What's it say?

"Diesel."

That's right.

Diesel.

Because you can't put

gasoline in the tractor, son.

I'm sorry, Dad.

Well, sorry

isn't going

to fix this, boy.

Damn!

[door slams]

(Rich, off)

My mom and dad

raised five of us kids

and, you know,

most of the time

money was pretty scarce.

And when I was little,

my baby brother

passed a way.

And that was

often hard for them.

Even as a boy,

I wanted to help.

But I couldn't.

(father)

Why didn't you tell me

you got the tractor

stuck in the field

this morning?

Speak up, Do)'-

I thought

you'd be mad.

I just don't understand

why everything you touch

ends up busted.

[thunder rolling]

(mother)

I wish you'd be

more gentle with him.

(father)

More gentle?

That's the last

thing to be.

He needs

to toughen up,

that's what.

He's got his damn

head in the clouds.

He needs to know

you love him.

That boy needs to stay

away from the tractor.

Last week,

it was the engine.

Today he got not one,

but four wheels

stuck in holes.

John, he's

just trying--

Four, Neva.

Four. The repairs

cost 300 dollars,

not to mention

the lost time

on the farm.

Ain't going

to be worried

aboutlove

if he is going

hungry, will he?

He's our oldest boy, Neva.

If he doesn't learn,

then how is he going

to take over the farm

one day?

Maybe he's

not meant

for the farm.

[sigh]

You're a good father.

Hm.

[distant slow piano notes]

She got it.

[chuckles]

She did,

didn't she?

[slow piano playing]

(mother)

Dad, that's it.

(father)

What are you

doing, boy?

John!

[thunder rolling]

Didn't you

like it, Mom?

Yes. Yes,

it's wonderful.

John--

(Rich, off)

As I got older,

music seemed to be

the only thing

that made sense to me.

I was pretty good at it

and there was something

about sitting at a piano

that just made me feel

like I was home.

(preacher)

How do you think

that God views you?

Have you asked

yourself this?

You should,

because your perception

of God

will have an effect

on every aspect

of your life.

In the Book of Romans,

Paul quoting Isaiah

speaks to the truth that

no one is righteous,

how we are all sinners.

But God commanded

his love toward us.

That was

wonderful, Richard.

Thank you,

Mrs. Kellner.

Now why don't you play

it how it was written?

[knocking]

Time to go, son.

He is

my best student.

Well, at least

there's one thing

he's good at.

It sure isn't farming.

Let's get, boy.

(Rich, off)

Growing up, people

would always tell me

that God

loved me

but I had

a hard time

believing that.

I wondered

if God even liked me.

Maybe it's because people

also told me that my dad

loved me.

I mean, my dad

and I didn't connect'

or we couldn't connect'.

The things

he knew and understood

weren '2' things I knew

and understood

and vice versa.

They say that time

heals all wounds

but honestly in our case

it just made things worse.

[thunder rolling gently]

(Rich)

I hate

being different.

I think God

knows what

he's doing, Wayne.

Dad hates it, too.

Your father

loves you.

No, he loves

Dave and Lloyd.

He understands them.

He loves

all of you.

Sometimes I just wish

I was more like them.

I don't belong here.

God's got

big plans

for you.

I know it.

You are going to do

great things one day.

(Rich, off)

After high school,

I wasn't sure what

I was going to do.

Home had became a place

where you had to learn

the language of silence.

My dad and I grew apart.

Uh, you know, he grew inward

and I grew bitter.

At' that time,

my rebellion

was in full swing.

Uh, let's just say

that surrender

doesn't exactly

come naturally to me.

But I quickly learned

that God

can speak to us

in some pretty

unexpected ways.

How do you respond

to these accusations

from your father?

Do you dare defy

the ordinances

of Holy Mother Church ?

How can you stand there

in defiance of your father?

You're bestowed

with riches

beyond your worth

and now

you rebuke their value?

By what authority

do you do such things?

I want to live

a life of freedom.

I want to be as free

as the animals

that roam this earth,

as free as the moon

in the night sky.

These earthly possessions,

this noble stature,

the adoration

that our society

craves is no use to me.

But you're my son.

I'm no longer

your son.

(Rich, off)

Saint Francis was wild.

I mean,

he fell

madly in love

with Jesus.

As a result of that,

he gave up everything

he had.

Why are you doing this?

God calls

to every man.

But not every man responds.

(Rich, off)

I connected to the story

of Saint Francis

in a lot of ways.

You know, he just had

this radical trust in Christ.

It was a trust

that I didn't have.

But I wanted it.

I knew that deep down

if I wanted to grow

that kind of faith,

it wasn't going to happen

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