Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2023 17:23:17 GMT -5
"Would you mind, uhh, ripping that off?"
"I'm sorry?"
"The bottle, we're not going to be able to show the label if this gets momentum, so it'll be easier to just take it off now."
"You mean when this gets momentum?"
From a viewer's perspective, we're now looking through a camera's lens. Between the lens and a maroon curtain sits a grinning young man behind a large oak desk. He has dark hair which is combed, parted on the left, and two day old stubble leading to a well maintained goatee. His fingers are working to peel the label from a water bottle, and he eventually gets it off and balls it up on the desk in front of him. At the forefront of the desk is a gold trimmed name placard, which reads 'David Carroll'.
"That's a good attitude to have, Reverend."
"David, please. I don't claim any formal titles here."
"David. You know, it might be easy sometimes to confuse confidence with arrogance."
There's a flicker of intensity that flashes across the dark brown eyes of David Carroll, but it's quickly replaced by a friendlier glance and a warm smile. It could have just been a trick of the camera.
"Well I think that's where faith comes in. I wouldn't say that it's arrogance to believe whole-heartedly in something greater than yourself like God's plan."
David leans forward a little bit, clasping his hands together on the desk.
"You know, when someone gives themselves over fully to Him, and know in their souls that He has a plan for them, a lot of the stress and negativity in life just melts away, and it makes way for positive thinking. Negative thoughts come to us all. But when you speak them out loud, you give them a life, and that's when they become a reality.
There's a few moments of silence where David stares into the camera, radiating a wave of calm that is the slightest bit unnerving. The man behind the camera clears his throat before speaking.
"Let's start at the beginning, and we're obviously going to edit and jump around when this is released, but if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself?"
David sits up straighter.
"David Carroll."
"I'm sorry, can we do that again and if you could like do a quick introduction, like 'I'm David Carroll' and a little bit about who you are or what you do? Sorry I wasn't clearer.
"Yes, of course," David says with a quick chuckle, "that actually makes more sense. I'll just start over then?"
"Please."
David leans back a little bit, running his hands down the sides of his cream colored suit jacket to smooth it out. He keeps his posture straight, his left hand on the desk and his right hand gently resting on top. The warm, inviting smile is back.
"My name is David Carroll, and I am the senior pastor for the Spirit and Truth Church in Ridge Manor, Florida."
He pauses for a beat.
"Was that good?"
"Yeah we can work with that."
The screen jumps a little bit to where David is now seated more relaxed. There are a few shadows in the room now, indicating a change in the time where the video was previously stopped and started again.
"So why professional wrestling? It seems as though something as violent would be the antithesis of what you're trying to accomplish."
David's eyes shoot to the ceiling for a moment as he brings his hands together, the point of his fingers resting underneath his chin.
"To get your point of view, what is it that you think we're trying to accomplish?"
"Well, I'm no expert, but it seems as though the goal of most religions is ultimately peace and love."
David nods his head before looking back towards the camera.
"Peace and love is definitely an ultimate goal. Peace and love all over the world, for all of God's children. And while I do have the utmost faith, I am also a realist. Our church has grown to almost double attendance in our small town, that much is a fact. But my…our reach is limited in the grand sch…picture."
David clears his throat and takes a quick sip to empty the water bottle that was on the desk before continuing.
"I just want to make one thing clear. We are not one of these churches that preach about damnation and hellfire to non-believers. There is a whole world of good people out there that are non-believers. Do I believe those people are going to heaven? Well, how can someone go someplace that they do not believe in? My participation in the Universal Wrestling League will serve a purpose of reaching a wider audience. A wider audience in which we can spread the Good Word. But words do not reach everyone. If one really and truly wish to get people's attention, one must put actions behind what you believe in. With my collegiate background, participating in professional wrestling seemed like the best way to showcase action. It's something that people like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar are not able to do."
"Is your goal to be as big as them? To run a mega-church?"
"I'm not really fond of the term 'mega-church'. It is, after all, just a church. I'm also not in this business to get rich, at least from a monetary standpoint. I have had money for a good portion of my life and it left me unhappy, and partially broken."
David leans forward, bringing his hands clasped together on the desk once more.
"I was not a very good person in my former life. But all of this that you see around…well it saved me. It can save anyone and everyone. And that is what I intend to do. All in the name of the Spirit and Truth Church."
"You have to understand that there are going to be a lot of people out there that are going to resist, and aren't going to be cheering for you. You do understand that, right?"
David stares at the camera again, the intensity that made a brief appearance previously arising once more. Before a hole can be bored into the lens, he simply smiles once more.
"I'm sorry?"
"The bottle, we're not going to be able to show the label if this gets momentum, so it'll be easier to just take it off now."
"You mean when this gets momentum?"
From a viewer's perspective, we're now looking through a camera's lens. Between the lens and a maroon curtain sits a grinning young man behind a large oak desk. He has dark hair which is combed, parted on the left, and two day old stubble leading to a well maintained goatee. His fingers are working to peel the label from a water bottle, and he eventually gets it off and balls it up on the desk in front of him. At the forefront of the desk is a gold trimmed name placard, which reads 'David Carroll'.
"That's a good attitude to have, Reverend."
"David, please. I don't claim any formal titles here."
"David. You know, it might be easy sometimes to confuse confidence with arrogance."
There's a flicker of intensity that flashes across the dark brown eyes of David Carroll, but it's quickly replaced by a friendlier glance and a warm smile. It could have just been a trick of the camera.
"Well I think that's where faith comes in. I wouldn't say that it's arrogance to believe whole-heartedly in something greater than yourself like God's plan."
David leans forward a little bit, clasping his hands together on the desk.
"You know, when someone gives themselves over fully to Him, and know in their souls that He has a plan for them, a lot of the stress and negativity in life just melts away, and it makes way for positive thinking. Negative thoughts come to us all. But when you speak them out loud, you give them a life, and that's when they become a reality.
There's a few moments of silence where David stares into the camera, radiating a wave of calm that is the slightest bit unnerving. The man behind the camera clears his throat before speaking.
"Let's start at the beginning, and we're obviously going to edit and jump around when this is released, but if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself?"
David sits up straighter.
"David Carroll."
"I'm sorry, can we do that again and if you could like do a quick introduction, like 'I'm David Carroll' and a little bit about who you are or what you do? Sorry I wasn't clearer.
"Yes, of course," David says with a quick chuckle, "that actually makes more sense. I'll just start over then?"
"Please."
David leans back a little bit, running his hands down the sides of his cream colored suit jacket to smooth it out. He keeps his posture straight, his left hand on the desk and his right hand gently resting on top. The warm, inviting smile is back.
"My name is David Carroll, and I am the senior pastor for the Spirit and Truth Church in Ridge Manor, Florida."
He pauses for a beat.
"Was that good?"
"Yeah we can work with that."
The screen jumps a little bit to where David is now seated more relaxed. There are a few shadows in the room now, indicating a change in the time where the video was previously stopped and started again.
"So why professional wrestling? It seems as though something as violent would be the antithesis of what you're trying to accomplish."
David's eyes shoot to the ceiling for a moment as he brings his hands together, the point of his fingers resting underneath his chin.
"To get your point of view, what is it that you think we're trying to accomplish?"
"Well, I'm no expert, but it seems as though the goal of most religions is ultimately peace and love."
David nods his head before looking back towards the camera.
"Peace and love is definitely an ultimate goal. Peace and love all over the world, for all of God's children. And while I do have the utmost faith, I am also a realist. Our church has grown to almost double attendance in our small town, that much is a fact. But my…our reach is limited in the grand sch…picture."
David clears his throat and takes a quick sip to empty the water bottle that was on the desk before continuing.
"I just want to make one thing clear. We are not one of these churches that preach about damnation and hellfire to non-believers. There is a whole world of good people out there that are non-believers. Do I believe those people are going to heaven? Well, how can someone go someplace that they do not believe in? My participation in the Universal Wrestling League will serve a purpose of reaching a wider audience. A wider audience in which we can spread the Good Word. But words do not reach everyone. If one really and truly wish to get people's attention, one must put actions behind what you believe in. With my collegiate background, participating in professional wrestling seemed like the best way to showcase action. It's something that people like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar are not able to do."
"Is your goal to be as big as them? To run a mega-church?"
"I'm not really fond of the term 'mega-church'. It is, after all, just a church. I'm also not in this business to get rich, at least from a monetary standpoint. I have had money for a good portion of my life and it left me unhappy, and partially broken."
David leans forward, bringing his hands clasped together on the desk once more.
"I was not a very good person in my former life. But all of this that you see around…well it saved me. It can save anyone and everyone. And that is what I intend to do. All in the name of the Spirit and Truth Church."
"You have to understand that there are going to be a lot of people out there that are going to resist, and aren't going to be cheering for you. You do understand that, right?"
David stares at the camera again, the intensity that made a brief appearance previously arising once more. Before a hole can be bored into the lens, he simply smiles once more.