Original subtitles

(crickets chirping)

Everyone loves a good story now and then.

And the hills you see here are well known

for their tall tales and miraculous fables.

♪

But what if I told you this was a place

where stories truly come to life?

♪

Would you believe it?

♪

Welcome to Eureka Springs.

A story of healing water first brought folks here.

Soon enough, Eureka discovered

that stories themselves were a natural resource.

The town has been an attraction ever since.

(fly buzzing)

(clicking, whirring)

♪

You are about to see a dramatic re-enactment

of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ on Earth,

including his crucifixion, resurrection,

and ascension into heaven.

We ask you please to remember that we do allow photography

if the flash is turned off.

Please remember that the amphitheater

is a smoke-free environment.

In further consideration for those around you,

we ask you not to use cell phones

during the performance.

Join us now as we look back in time

to the city of Jerusalem

under the rule of Tiberius Caesar

and Rome.

(metal clanking)

♪

(smacking)

Okay, so we’re here in wardrobing room number four.

This is where I grew up in the passion play at.

We have some whips that are used to strike Jesus.

They’ve drawn blood from my back on several occasions.

When you’re not really bleeding, the stage blood that we used

is Ben Nye stage blood.

We don’t eat it, although it is edible.

Zesty mint flavor.

Not cheap.

It’s like 50 bucks a bottle.

This is the cross of Christ.

We just hold onto the T-nail.

It’s a lot easier to hold onto something than is to hang,

’cause we don’t know if Jesus was pierced here or here.

And we just put our feet here.

And we don’t have a production for a couple of days,

we’ll clean off that bird poop.

It’s all lifted up by hand.

(creaking)

It’s pretty high off the ground,

um, but it’s all good.

This is the tomb of Christ.

(grunting)

(creaking)

Four thousand seats.

You know, you look at 7.7 million people,

they’ve looked right at this perspective.

This is the focus of the entire play,

the resurrection of Christ.

Pretty neat moment.

(keys jangling)

You know, this place originally,

the Passion Play property and facilities

and all of the grounds

are appraised recently for $9.8 million.

It is, um...

But the reason it’s valuable to me

is because 50.000 people a year

get to learn about Jesus Christ.

Let me get these lights on for you.

I love this room.

It has art from the 1500s and the 1600s.

These sculptures are just classic.

The works here, priceless.

My favorite piece is the baptism of Jesus

by John the Baptist.

And you can still today go to this same place

in the Jordan River

and be baptized if you want to.

I did that recently.

It was very enjoyable and meaningful.

Okay, well, I guess you guys are gonna

have to move down the road.

♪

(water dripping)

♪

(birds chirping)

♪

When I was-- I was probably six or seven,

I was little,

they were baptizing somebody in the river,

and I’m holding Grandma’s hand.

They go to baptize this woman,

and she goes down a redhead and comes up a blonde,

and I’m yanking on Grandma’s hand saying,

"Look, Grandma, look!"

I thought the biggest miracle had ever happened

and there goes her wig, floatin’ down the river.

(laughing)

I thought the Big One had happened.

That was good.

We call this holy smoke.

(laughing)

♪ Some men think the height of a woman’s pleasure ♪

♪ Is when he’s kissing her on the lips ♪

♪ And some men think the joy of foreplay ♪

♪ Is caressing with his fingertips ♪

You are at Eureka Live Underground.

Walter and I have had this place for not quite five years.

♪ But let me tell you how to kiss her ♪

We’re like a Hillbilly Studio 54.

♪ You’re makin’ us feel good,

but you can make us feel better ♪

♪ If you treat your lady like a stamp and a letter ♪

♪ Lick it ♪

♪ Before you stick it ♪

♪ You better lick it before you stick it ♪

♪

Just because we serve alcohol

doesn’t mean that we’re perverted

and that we’re not Christian.

And just because you’re a Christian

doesn’t really have anything to do

with who you’re fucking.

It has to do with who you’re loving.

♪ Now all you fellas sitting there laughing ♪

♪ Let me tell you this is no stage joke ♪

♪ She ain’t playin’ ♪

♪ If you really want to please her ♪

♪ Just find that little man in the boat ♪

♪ He speaks and the sound of his voice ♪

♪ Is so sweet that the birds are touched by his singing ♪

♪ And the melody that he gave to me ♪

(indistinct singing)

♪

God has no problem with me.

I don’t see faith as a barrier to being who I am.

I see faith as a reason for who I am.

In order to be honest with myself and everyone else,

I had to live life as I believe,

and that was as a woman and that’s what I’ve done.

(birds squawking)

When I was 16, a Baptist preacher

decided he would cast demons out

and he was holding me on his living room floor

with his knees on my shoulder.

I was concerned, you know,

there might be something wrong with me.

Well, the more I yelled and fought,

the more it seemed like he thought I had demons

and that was proof.

Probably the only devil in the room was his behavior.

♪

The Bible is the most abused book in literature.

Taken the wrong way, this book has been used

to abuse and terrorize

a certain segment of our population.

I personally believe you can make the Bible

say anything you want it to believe.

’Cause there are some crazy things in there.

If you wanna start a crusade against bacon eaters,

here’s your proof.

It’s biblical.

Obviously homosexuality is wrong

because it says so in Leviticus.

Well, be careful because I like bacon,

and if you say that, then you also have to ban bacon.

And I have a problem with that.

Does a rule about homosexuality

have anything to do with God’s love

and our love for our neighbor?

If we can’t love one another,

then we can’t fulfill this book,

and we should stop pretending we are.

(cell phone ringing)

Excuse me.

(congregation laughing)

That’s my mother calling.

Let’s focus.

Let’s pull it back in!

I know she’s calling to criticize, that’s all right.

Jamie, how are you?

How’s that one?

My earliest memory is my dad and my mom

quietly telling us kids that they’re not going

to be living together anymore.

Finally she told me that, you know,

she’s been protecting me from this, but my dad is gay,

and that means that he, uh-- it’s a sexual problem.

It’s like a sexual disease that he’s given in to.

So I understood homosexuality to be, like, the worst sin,

like this thing that transforms you,

it steals your identity

and turns you into this other thing.

It just didn’t...

It just didn’t line up with what I knew of him.

Guys, I found out that my dad was gay when I was like 12

and I didn’t even know what that meant

and back then it was a big deal.

Why was it a big deal?

’Cause people used to feel really embarrassed about it

and their churches would tell him

they can’t come here anymore

and sometimes they would hide it,

you know, so I didn’t-- no one told me--

Well, this is what they would do

if somebody said they can’t come to church.

The next day they’d come, they were like,

"We’re not gay, we can come!"

They would lie just so they can come!

Yeah, but what if--

what if you had to pretend something about yourself

so that people would like you?

Wouldn’t that be sad?

Yeah.

♪

Now Eureka may seem like a neighborly place,

but over the years this town has played host to bootleggers,

snake oil salesmen, even the KKK.

Like any other town, Eureka is a tinder box

just waiting for the match to strike.

Ordinance 2223 caught a lot of heat

when city council passed it from the religious community

who feel that their first amendment rights

are being challenged,

but those that we’ve spoken with today

that say they are for the ordinance

say that it sends the message

that Eureka Springs won’t tolerate discrimination.

♪

Men should use their men’s bathroom

and women should use the women’s bathroom.

I don’t know why-- I don’t know why men

should use the women’s bathroom.

People...

I believe it’s wrong.

What’s disappointing to me is how they focused on

little girls being molested in the bathrooms.

Focusing there is just focusing on a lot of lies and fear.

You’ve got big sign here.

You think it’s going to be repealed?

The only way it’s gonna be appealed

is if the Lord appeals it.

Nothing’s gonna happen that God doesn’t want to happen.

Nothing will happen if God doesn’t...

Nothing will happen that’s out of God’s plan.

Who are you from? Who are you?

I’m with the Democrat Gazette.

-Democrat Gazette, that’s good. -The newspaper.

What’s the reason that you voted the way you did?

We’re getting too permissive in this town,

much too permissive, and I don’t like it!

And more and more, there are clubs in town

that are operated by two people of the same sex

and et cetera, et cetera.

I don’t want to insult anybody,

but I myself walking downtown

saw people grabbing each other’s can,

you know, in front of people.

That is a no-no in my book.

And if you want ’em, invite ’em to your house.

They’re not welcome in my house.

-You know. -But you’re welcome in my house.

-We can sit and talk some more. -You’re not one of them.

I can listen to you all night,

but you are not gonna get anywhere.

Now you might be wondering

how a civil rights issue

became a fight against deviants lurking in bathroom stalls.

It all began with Anita Bryant,

the hymn-singing sweetheart of the orange juice industry.

She was also the spokesperson

of the Save Our Children campaign

who were hell bent on defeating gay rights

by casting homosexuals as moral corrupters

who should be kept out of classrooms

and other public spaces.

Though Save Our Children won several national victories,

the campaign eventually faltered.

If we were going to go on a crusade across the nation

and try to do away with the homosexuals,

then we certainly would have done it on June the 8th

after one of the most overwhelming victories

in the country.

Um, but we didn’t, we--we tried to avoid it

and went into a place called Norfolk, Virginia,

and were met with protests and all kinds of problems.

And, uh, every--

(gasping, camera clicking)

-Security agent, security agent. -No, no, let him stay.

Well, at least it’s a fruit pie.

Let’s pray for him right now.

Anita? Let’s pray.

Father, I want to ask that you forgive him.

-That we love him. -And that we love him

and that we’re praying for him to be delivered

from his deviant lifestyle, Father.

And I just...

(crying)

♪

From that point on, Anita found the fruits of her labor

to be increasingly bitter.

The orange juice industry no longer wanted

such a controversial figure,

and her career withered away.

Thinking the Great Passion Play

would bring her a guaranteed audience,

she tried to revive her stage show

right here in Eureka.

No one came.

She left the town broke and defeated.

But the fears unleashed

by the Save Our Children campaign lingered on,

waiting in the outhouse all this time.

It is complicated.

I’m married with five children, I’m not gay.

I don’t agree with gay lifestyle,

but I’m not a bigot.

A lot of them don’t agree

with my fundamental Christian lifestyle,

but we can still love each other,

care about each other, or at least get along.

That’s America.

So.

I’m not for this law, I’m against the law,

I’ll tell you why.

The reason I’m against this law

is because there are paragraphs hidden in the law

that specifically attack the church’s ability

to regulate itself.

I have put my message out there

and that is I am not gonna stand by silently

while any law for any reason is passed at any level

that comes against the church.

I’m not gonna do it.

This is Twice Born, this is my Christian T-shirt shop.

So this is our best seller...

"I Got This."

My message is not what the Bible says about gay people

and what’s the punishment and heaven and hell.

My message is: You don’t have the right as a Christian

and as a Bible believer to take someone else’s freedom.

The concept of teaming up with other Christians

to form some kind of political movement

against another group of people

is not found in New Testament Christianity.

It’s found nowhere except by Judas,

who wanted Christ so badly to rise up against Rome

and be that king.

Judas was disappointed and he betrayed his Christ

and he got his money and he killed himself.

And I say to my Christian friends in my community,

who are we?

Are we Judas or are we Christ?

♪

Jesus can deliver you from homosexuality.

Why are you defending such an abomination?

Because it’s beautiful.

-Love--love is beautiful. -It isn’t beautiful.

This is disgusting.

You are hateful and disgusting.

♪

(cheering)

Yes, baby!

There is a righteous judge,

and he will judge accordingly.

I hate the wickedness of the world.

Are you prejudiced against women?

I hate the darkness and the lies of Satan.

Sir, did you come here to spread the darkness?

♪

(cheering)

♪

(thunder clapping)

(rain pouring)

(thunder rumbling)

(crashing)

(crickets chirping)

(birds chirping)

(bees buzzing)

Lee, Walter, it’s good to see you again.

Good to see you again. It’s looking really good!

Thank you, the yellow jackets seem to think so, too.

Last Wednesday morning, that whole wall of stucco,

-just destroyed. -I mean, I knew it rained.

I didn’t know it was that windy, though.

How much more painting or work?

Well, this--this took 60 gallons of paint,

-25 gallons of primer. -Oh, you are kidding!

Well, we were talking about redoing it

and God said, "She’s coming down!"

"Let’s do it right now!"

(laughing)

It does look a lot better.

Well, it’s good seeing you both.

Good seeing you again.

I think people will appreciate this more one day.

I hope they do.

That’s what he’s all about is hope.

And that’s why we’re Christian.

♪

Christ of the Ozarks came to Eureka in 1964,

brought by Gerald L. K. Smith,

a man called the deadliest and damnedest orator ever heard.

Take a listen.

We believe that the destiny of America

must be kept in the hands of our own people.

That is Nationalism.

We must keep control of our own money and our own blood.

But if the wall ever breaks, we will be invaded

and destroyed without the firing of a shot.

Merely by the act of indiscriminate admission

of aliens to our shores.

After three bids for president

on the Christian Nationalists ticket,

he retired to the Ozarks with a dream

of making Eureka Springs a site of Christian pilgrimage.

♪

Having Jesus in the backyard

wasn’t enough for the old fella, though,

so he built his own Jerusalem

and opened the Great Passion Play.

In its heyday, thousands came to see the Crucifixion,

the Resurrection, and to secure their inspiration

with an affordable memento from the gift shop.

♪

After Smith’s death, his successors removed

his anti-Semitic speeches from the play,

and continue to this day to denounce his racist views.

♪

Smith now rests with his wife at the foot of his giant Christ.

♪

But Christ is facing away from both the play

and the grave.

♪

(air hissing)

We’re old Christian ladies.

That’s how we roll.

(laughing)

I actually went down and became an ordained minister,

-so-- -Wow, really?

I can marry people here in Eureka,

and actually I have married several straight people

here at the bar.

Myself, I was married 14 years.

And I have a 26-year-old daughter.

I have two grandchildren.

My ex-wife left me because I was prettier than she was.

But, um...

(laughing)

That dark enough?

(mixed chatter)

♪

Just do it without the microphone.

(microphone feedback)

Okay, everybody, we’re gonna get started.

I didn’t want to battle that dumb microphone,

so we’re just gonna do it the old-fashioned way

like they did in Bible days, right?

(cheering)

Projection is key.

Before we get started, though,

I’d like to say we are a very serious production.

We’re telling the life of Christ.

We need to have that same seriousness

when we’re out on stage especially.

And with that, let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, we come before you today.

The soundtrack for this play is prerecorded,

but the actors realized

the commitment level that we need,

and when actors emote spirituality,

that gives a whole new aura to the play.

I believe the audience can feel it.

Regardless of what they see, they can feel.

Playing Jesus, it’s not a vacant position.

He is not dead, he is alive,

so if I can’t take that part seriously,

then I’m not being a good reflection

of who I believe Christ wants me to be.

And it’s in Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

Okay, guys, let us begin!

(cheering)

♪

-How are ya? -Fine, thanks, not bad,

-how are you? -Doing good.

We take cash, we take credit card,

Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

♪

(groaning)

♪

(mixed chatter)

♪

They’re coming in.

Oh, there’s Randall Christy down at the bottom of our steps.

Oh, yeah.

Over to your right, on the horizon

is the largest statue of Jesus Christ

in North America.

We don’t worship that statue,

but it reminds us of how big the one we worship is.

And he is big, isn’t he?

(goats bleating)

Stars of the show.

"Wait on me guys."

Doesn’t that remind you of us?

Sometimes, we’re a little bit lost,

but the Lord will help us find our way, amen?

Tonight, you bought a ticket

and you’re not expected to do anything else more than that,

but if you want to help, put something in that envelope.

If you have a prayer request, write it on the back.

♪

Here’s one right here, son.

♪

Let’s all sing this, Peace in the Valley.

♪ Well, the bear will be gentle ♪

♪ And the wolf will be tame ♪

♪ And the lion shall lay down by the lamb ♪

♪ Oh, yes ♪

Putting a second coat on.

♪

I’m called the "Smell Good Jesus,"

’cause I wear cologne.

Right before the play, I do it every night.

♪ Well, there’ll be no sadness ♪

♪ No sorrow ♪

♪ No trouble I see ♪

♪ There will be peace ♪

♪ Peace in the valley for me ♪

(mixed chatter)

All right, ladies and gentlemen,

how the hell are y’all doing tonight?

(pathetic clapping)

Oh, hell no, that’s not good enough.

I said, how the fuck are you doing tonight, Eureka Live?

(cheering)

All right.

Are you bitches ready to see the fuckin’ first entertainer?

(horn blowing)

♪

Jesus is coming!

It is Jesus the prophet!

♪

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna!

♪

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s give it up

for the Gospel Diva, Miss Felicia Blackheart!

♪ Can I get a hallelujah? ♪

♪ Can I get an amen? ♪

♪ Feels like the Holy Ghost running through ya ♪

♪ When I play the highway FM ♪

♪ I find my soul revival ♪

♪ Singing every single verse ♪

♪ Yeah, I guess that’s my church ♪

(cheering)

Voila, titty!

-She’s glued her titties-- -She’s a tranny,

that’s some cleavage!

She’s just a woman dressed as a man dressed in drag.

I am a white, wholesome Christian woman.

Pentecostal.

You can’t tell?

She’s sweating like a whore in church.

♪

I am the resurrection, I am the life.

Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, will live.

And whoever lives and believes in me

will never die.

Take this stone away.

♪

Lord, he has been here four days!

-He’ll stink. -You said you believe.

I said, "You will see the glory of God."

♪

Lazarus, come forth!

♪

(owl hooting)

(crickets chirping)

(bird calling)

The first time I had a heart attack,

I flatlined.

That’s all I remember until I got to the hospital.

I remember waking up thinking, "Well, I’m dying,"

but I managed to sit up

and point at each individual person

and go, "They say we’re gonna fight this."

And the reason I said that was

that for that instant when I woke up,

I felt the presence...

of a spirit is all I can say,

that cloaked me and hugged me.

And then I kinda went out of it again, didn’t I?

You were in and out of-- they would wake you up

and you would try to sit up and pull that respirator out--

-I was ready to go. -And fight those restraints

and it was so traumatizing on you and us,

we finally said, "Don’t wake him up."

-Just let me sleep through it. -Yeah, because we couldn’t--

I couldn’t stand to watch him fightin’ it.

I remember the first time I felt better about it

was a nurse pulled me to the side and said,

"Y’all are a gay couple, right?" and I said, "Yeah."

Asked how long we’d been together and I told her,

and, uh, she said, "I just want you to know

we will respect your rights here

and you don’t have anything to worry about."

And...

And I said, "Is he gonna make it?"

I did!

And she said yes.

And I believed her.

And I did!

I wanted to kill you a couple of times.

(laughing)

"Damn, he lived!"

(laughing)

"Damn him for living!"

♪

I have cancer.

We just found that out about a month ago.

How do you deal with cancer

with grace and not pity?

♪

(coughing)

My favorite scripture in the whole Bible is,

"I believe; help my unbelief."

When I was young, you know, and I first discovered faith,

it was very, very, very real.

It was beautiful.

It makes me think of E.T.

It makes me think of this other worldly,

strange thing that the world doesn’t understand.

The little boy discovers the alien

and invites him in the home.

They get to know each other and they become best buds.

All of a sudden, you know, people find out about it

and they try to take it away,

to break up this relationship.

And E.T. is gone,

and they’re both sad.

And I think of Elliot as an adult.

He, he probably grew up and he never stopped

looking up to the sky to find E.T.

Like, he was probably always hoping that he’d be back.

But I just imagine that, like, after a while,

did he start to wonder, like, did that even happen?

♪

(distorted shouting)

(evil laughter)

Do you see how I hit the musical cue there?

Even though he got there a little bit ahead of time,

it’s still more visually impactful

to go with the music, with the line.

♪

He’s gonna wait, then he’s gonna turn,

and put his hand-- watching the hand.

♪

That’s the scene.

♪

In the Bible, it says in James, "Resist the devil

and he will flee from you."

And it’s through that lens that you can see

that there is a person who is Jesus

and there is a person who is Satan.

And then you choose who to follow.

That’s why we include the character of Satan in the play.

It says in First John that the reason the Son of God appeared

was to destroy the work of the devil.

And we wanted to show that Jesus won

and Satan did not make the right choice.

♪

Who is it you want?

Jesus.

I am he!

♪

I believe in the devil.

I do, I think the devil taunts you.

I think he tempts you,

but that’s just my way of thinking about evil.

Don’t look at me that way.

Well, I don’t believe in the devil.

I don’t believe in Hell, I don’t believe God

would torture someone for eternity

if they don’t subscribe to believe in him.

Then what keeps you being good?

I think how I was raised.

I was raised by fundamentalist Christians

-who taught me morals-- -That believed,

that believed in the devil and God.

And they did and I,

I’m fine that they believed that way.

And you grew up thinking that.

And I did grow up thinking that, but--

And what changed it?

Age, uh, experience,

uh, maturing.

I was convinced I was gonna go to hell because I was gay.

I did everything I could think of to be straight.

And I thought, "Well, if I’m going to hell

because I can’t help this,

I just can’t subscribe to that."

Like I said, I might be totally wrong,

and if I am, that’s on me.

-But-- -For eternity.

Well, that’s just not the way I see it.

Well, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Well, that’s fire insurance.

Yeah, that’s fire insurance.

♪

In these parts, they say the devil walks

at night stirring up trouble.

And there are stories to prove it.

Trees tell of black men and women lynched and hanged.

Lonely valleys tell of gays and lesbians

beaten, imprisoned,

living secretly in fear.

Back roads tell the story of a trans woman shot in the head

and dragged behind a car.

(owl hooting)

Around here, the devil demands his due.

(indistinct chatter)

Within an hour, Eureka Springs voters are going to decide

the fate of an anti-discrimination ordinance,

voting on Ordinance 2223.

This policy will prohibit any discrimination against a person

based on his or her sexual orientation.

I think things look favorable, but--

Voting runs until 7:30 tonight, and you can vote

at St. Elizabeth Parish Center on Passion Play Road.

I’m not in favor of jinxing myself just yet.

Brothers and Sisters.

Prayer is a powerful thing.

In these trying times,

we pray.

We pray hard.

But there are some matters

where we would be better servants of the Lord

by accepting what he is, and not bothering him!

Come on!

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪ No matter what your preacher say ♪

♪ No matter what your preacher say ♪

♪ There’s no fighting day and night ♪

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪

Do you have a Bible?

Not with me.

Do you know Jesus?

Uh, yes.

Do you know you’re gonna burn in hell for being gay?

-Oh God, no! -Yes, you’re gonna burn in hell.

Turn around.

Lord, we want you to take this gay demon

out of my friend.

We don’t want you there.

Are you delivered, do you still like men?

-Yeah. -Okay.

(laughing)

Uh, yeah.

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪ No matter what your preacher say ♪

♪ No matter what your preacher say ♪

♪ There’s no fighting day and night ♪

♪ You can’t pray the gay away ♪

♪ Amen ♪

Hallelujah!

Bless your heart.

(distant cheering)

♪

(shouting)

(whooshing noise)

♪

Whoa.

♪

(laughing)

♪

(rattling)

♪

He crosses.

Stay with me.

♪

Right below that speaker there.

Set it down there, lay it down gently.

Go ahead left, left!

Right there.

♪

Blood bottle.

♪

(clanging)

♪

-Y’all ready? -Yup.

Okay.

♪

♪

♪ Let us worship Christ ♪

♪ Our Savior ♪

♪ Let us worship Christ ♪

♪ Our Savior ♪

♪ Let us worship Him ♪

♪ Let us worship Him, come on ♪

♪ Let us worship Christ ♪

♪ Our Lord ♪

♪ All the earth

should praise Him ♪

♪ Let us bow down

before Him ♪

♪ Let us enter into

His gates with thanksgiving ♪

Hallelujah!

♪ Come before the Lord’s courts

with praise ♪

♪ Let us honor, honor, honor ♪

♪ Honor, honor, honor

and adore Him ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Let us exalt the Lord

for His goodness ♪

♪ He’s been real good ♪

♪ For His loving, loving, loving ♪

♪ Loving, loving kindness ♪

♪ And for, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ For His tender mercies

that are new to me every morning ♪

♪ I will thank You, Lord ♪

♪ I will, yes, I will ♪

♪ I will worship You, yeah ♪

♪ I will, I will, I will, I will worship You ♪

♪ Christ the Lord ♪

♪ I will ♪

♪

That’s a good picture.

Damn, I had a hot ass.

-Well, you were showing it too. -I know!

I think that’s why I married you.

You didn’t have much hair then.

I had a bunch of hair.

Look at that hair, right there.

Look how hot I was!

Oh, yeah, smokin’.

Shhh.

What was this?

-This was-- -Halloween.

-Halloween? -Yeah.

Uh-huh, 1986.

Yeah.

Heartbreaking looking at some of these.

Gone.

Gone.

All of them are gone.

-All gone? -Mhm.

Wow.

It was people that we drank with and partied with for years

and then all of a sudden,

they’re dying.

The last man I took care of,

his parents wanted him that when he passed away

to be thrown in the trash bin.

And when that man passed away, on my birthday,

you felt the spirit leave.

And people that have experienced loved ones

or other people that have passed on

at that very minute,

you can feel the electricity,

you can feel the soul,

you can feel the aura.

We lost a lot of good friends.

Wow.

The Bible isn’t the only holy book.

A photo album also holds guidance from the past

and visions of things to come.

Like a passage of scripture,

a photograph can be both a memorial

and a prophecy.

Let me show you.

♪

Years ago in Memphis, Lee ministered

to those who were victims of the AIDS epidemic

before there was much understanding

or acceptance of the disease.

He and Walter both recognize their blessing

not to have been affected by AIDS personally,

and they passed that blessing on

by helping to take care of others.

Lee and Walter were blessed to find each other

and stay together for 31 years.

They were married before God in 1986,

even before the law would recognize their marriage.

♪

Okay, Cut.

It’s gone heavy.

(sighing)

That wore me out, I haven’t cried like that in years.

♪ Thanks for the memories ♪

(train horn blowing)

Jesus says that unless you become like a little child

you’ll never see the kingdom of heaven.

My heart, it feels like it’s still seeking,

still desiring, I wouldn’t say knowledge,

but desiring a connection.

I’m not seeing evidence that that connection is not possible.

You just look out at the heavens and you want to thank someone,

and I think everyone feels that way.

♪

The young Sanhedrin guards have just

strolled about the grass and the smoke in the dark,

and they’re about to secure the tomb.

Who knows what will happen?

I think Jesus will probably rise from the dead, again.

(indistinct chatter)

What a great play.

I love it!

♪

(coughing)

(indistinct remarks)

Two, three, four,

five, six, seven.

To take it up again, to take it up again.

♪

(engines rumbling)

♪

-I have election results! -Woo!

For, 579.

(cheering)

Against, 231.

(cheering)

I’m here on Spring Street, you hear it.

There’s a lot of partying going on here in Eureka Springs

after voters upheld that civil rights ordinance.

I’m joined by the mayor of Eureka Springs, Butch Berry.

Now, Butch, being the mayor of Eureka Springs,

how are you feeling right now?

Uh, it’s a really exciting time, an historic time

for not only Eureka Springs, but for the State of Arkansas.

(indistinct conversations)

Two to one, not bad!

(mixed remarks)

♪

Break out the champagne!

So everybody is welcome in Eureka.

Even the Christians.

♪

There is forgiveness of sins

for all who turn to me.

You have seen these prophesies come true,

and soon I will send the Holy Spirit upon you,

just as my father promised.

Go forth and make all nations

my disciples.

Baptize men everywhere

in the name of the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit.

And teach them to observe

all that I have commanded you,

and be assured,

I am with you always.

Even to the end of time.

Here we go, one, two,

three, four, five,

six, seven, eight,

nine, ten.

♪

(applause)

(cheering)

♪

♪ Looking for a city

where we’ll never die ♪

♪ There the sainted millions

never say goodbye ♪

♪ There we’ll meet our Savior

and our loved ones too ♪

♪ Come, O Holy Spirit ♪

♪ All our hopes renew ♪

♪ Looking for a city

where we’ll never die ♪

♪ There the sainted millions

never say goodbye ♪

♪ There we’ll meet our Savior

and our loved ones too ♪

♪ Come, O Holy Spirit ♪

♪ All our hopes renew ♪

(applause)

(cheering)

♪

(indistinct conversations)

♪

Good night, God bless you.

Thank you so much for coming out.

Good night, ladies, thank you for coming, God bless you.

Thank you for attending the Great Passion Play!

Shall we go?

That was awesome.

(indistinct conversations)

We thank You, Lord for allowing people to come

to the passion play today and see what we are doing here,

and, Father, we pray that it’s been blessing

and that they take the message, Father,

and use it in Your glory,

and tell the story, share it with others.

(indistinct remarks)

There you have it, folks.

Our tale draws to a close.

But take comfort in this.

A story never truly dies.

Like a departed soul, it rests in darkness,

waiting to be awakened.

And this is a resurrection in which all of us,

even those exiled from heaven,

can partake.

♪

♪ I have heard of a land

on the far away strand ♪

♪ ’Tis a beautiful home of the soul ♪

♪ Built by Jesus on high ♪

♪ Where we never shall die ♪

♪ ’Tis a land where we never grow old ♪

♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ In the land where we’ll never grow old ♪

♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ In the land where we’ll never grow old ♪

♪

♪ When our work here is done

and the life crown is won ♪

♪ And our troubles and trials are over ♪

♪ All our sorrow will end ♪

♪ And our voices will blend ♪

♪ With the loved ones who’ve gone on before ♪

♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ In the land where we’ll never grow old ♪

♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ Never grow old ♪

♪ In the land where we’ll never grow old ♪

♪