I have seen

“Praise Jesus, Amen,” the crowded roared in unison.

“And Jesus said to the people –“ here Bobby R bit down on his lower lip, cast his eyes down, and squiggled his right cheek so as to allow a tear to escape from his eye, “—suffer ye the little children so that my kingdom may be saved!”

“Hallelujah, saints be praised,” the crowd chanted, lifting their arms over their heads and clapping to the sky of the glass-domed cathedral. “Hallelujah, Pastor Bobby R!”

Bobby R walked over and stood by the altar. He buttoned his jacket – after all, Lillie May Sue was sitting in the front pew and her blouse was cut low, after all, couldn’t risk an embarrassing incident like at that Waco revival last year with Pastorine Rita – and pursed his lips, flared his nostrils, and looked straight into the center of the crowd.

“But let there be sinners among you,” he said. “Let there be sinners among you who defile the beauty of God and this church, and know that hell fires dawn before you … because I have seen, my children, I have seen the light and ye shall all be saved from the workings of the devil and the San Francisco Democrats!”

“Save us, Lord, oh yes, save us our Lord from ye sinners!”

Bobby R glanced at Lillie May Sue’s low-cut blouse and saw the little tattoo of a fleur de lys on her left bosom. Praise God for two things … Bobby R’s buttoned jacket and Lille May Sue doing the collection plates today. He’d give her the peace of God – ah, the piece of God.