Reverend Wilkins paused to wipe a steaming brow. It was approaching the end of the service, and the reverend was showing the strain. “Can I have me an Amen.” “Amen, brother.” “Say it!” “My heart’s on fire, now, for all those poor souls out there who’re doomed to never know my Lord!” “Tha’s the truth!” “I don’t know which would be worse, the agony of the fire, or not knowin’ our Lord. And these poor souls are gonna know both!” “Lawd have mercy!” “Yes, they’s a lotta poor folks out there, Jesus knows how my heart reaches out for them.” He wiped his face again. “Got a call from Brown’s Funeral Home the other day, man asked me to come over and officiate at a funeral. Fam’ly passin’ through Washington, you know the story. Didn’t have no regular home, or if they did they’d lost it.
