Adventures in Odyssey

Malachi: My name is Malachi. I'm an angel. It's very good to see you again, Connie.

Connie Kendall: You're an angel.

Malachi: I know of the conflict you've been feeling of late. Now that your sister is also a daughter of the King, you're torn between the steady everydayness of the present and the unknown paths of the future. Are you coming?

Connie Kendall: Okay.

Malachi: Get ready for your adventure.

Jules: Everything alright, Renee?

Renee Carter: I'm sorry, Jules. I've just had a lot on my mind of late. You, for instance.

Jules: I'm fine. Better than ever, in fact. I became a Christian. I realized that I always needed Jesus. I want to go to heaven. I'm surprised Mr. Whittaker never made a program to let you experience what's supposed to be the greatest part of it. What comes next.

Renee Carter: I remember both Connie and Eugene talked about an Imagination Station program that Mr. Whittaker created that shows you what heaven's like.

Jules: I've never come across anything like a heaven program in Mabel's database, though. I don't think he would've completely got rid of something that big.

Renee Carter: What do we have here? A case of microfloppies and minidiscs. I can load these into the portable Imagination Station in my lab in the morning. Life after death, here I come.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Greetings, Renee, and welcome. I'm your host. My name is Leonid.

Renee Carter: Your name is Leonid?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leonid Zeppin-off, 19th-century Russian philosopher. After my death, Joseph Stalin referred to me as the man who made Plato, John Locke, and Immanuel Kant look like the least intelligent incarnation of the Three Stooges.

Anyway, you've studied me.

Renee Carter: Oh, yes. You were in that book of Olivia's. In fact, you wrote that book.

Leonid Zeppin-off: I did indeed.

Renee Carter: I hardly know anything about you, just what I've read.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Ah, you used an interesting word there, know. So you feel you need to know things.

Renee Carter: Well, of course. I want to know everything. Where I am, why I am here. Oh, are you here to tell me?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Perhaps. I can guide you to it if you like.

Renee Carter: To what?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Your greatest desire, of course.

Guest (Male): Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and honored guests, welcome to this year's Nobel Prize ceremony.

Renee Carter: I'm at the Nobel Prizes! I've always wanted to attend the ceremony.

Leonid Zeppin-off: There's more to it than merely attending.

Guest (Male): The Nobel Prize in Mathematics is awarded to Renee Descartes.

Renee Carter: What?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Congratulations, Renee. You've won the Nobel Prize.

Renee Carter: I can't believe it.

Leonid Zeppin-off: May I present you with your medal?

Renee Carter: Oh, why, yes. Of course.

Leonid Zeppin-off: And there you are. And here is your proclamation and your monetary award.

Renee Carter: Well, thank you.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Would you care to make a few remarks?

Renee Carter: Oh, hi. Well, I can only say thank you one and all. Heaven must be where you get your greatest wish. How wonderful! Why would Mr. Whittaker erase this program?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Ladies and gentlemen, in typical fashion, Renee is being far too modest. Her mathematical breakthrough will revolutionize everything. How? By helping us make better choices. Cue the inspirational speech music.

Because of Ms. Carter's breakthrough, mankind will now realize the profound impact of the intellect. Renee reveals that mathematics is the true deity, the one that will save the world.

Renee, I know this is imposing on you, but would you illustrate your breakthrough for us?

Renee Carter: Illustrate?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Please. We have the problem all set up for you. Voila!

Renee Carter: Why, this is the Three Doors Problem.

Leonid Zeppin-off: A very simplistic application of your breakthrough, but it will suit our purposes. Please proceed.

Renee Carter: Well, it's essentially a math conundrum designed to help people make better choices. In this case, by choosing the correct door.

Say an evil genius has sealed me in a room. And the only way out is through one of these three doors. The genius has told me that one of the doors leads not just to safety but to a wonderful place with great rewards.

But he's also told me that the other two doors lead to horrible suffering and certain doom. I can only choose one door. What are the odds that I'll pick the right one?

Leonid Zeppin-off: I'm no Pythagoras, and I'm happy about that—he's a dud—but I would have to say one in three.

Renee Carter: Correct! Now, let's say I pick door number one. The genius shows me what's behind door number three, which leads to horrible suffering and certain doom.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Reminds me of my first nursery school.

Renee Carter: But now the genius offers me a second choice. Stay with my original door...

Leonid Zeppin-off: ...door number one...

Renee Carter: ...or switch to door number two. Which would be the better choice? Put simply, now that I know what's behind door three, I have more information about the doors than I did when I made my first choice.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Which was door number one.

Renee Carter: Correct. However, choosing door number two will improve my odds from one out of three to two out of three.

Leonid Zeppin-off: So the best choice is to switch, natch.

Renee Carter: Precisely! My choice now is door number two.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Well, let's see if you're right. Open door number one. You were correct. Your mathematical breakthrough aided you in making the best choice. Well, what are you waiting for, Renee Descartes? Step through your choice to a wonderful place with great rewards.

Renee Carter: More wonderful than this? How grand!

Guest (Male): Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and honored guests, welcome to this year's Nobel Prize ceremony.

Renee Carter: Wait, wait, wait. Moment! We've done this already.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Yes, and wasn't it glorious? A superlative moment.

Renee Carter: Well, I... but then why not do it again?

Renee Carter: Well, no reason not to, I guess. All right, all right. I'm game. Open door number one.

Leonid Zeppin-off: You were right, Renee. Your breakthrough helped you make the best choice.

Renee Carter: Ay, just like last time.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Well, what are you waiting for, Renee Descartes? Step through your choice to a wonderful place with great rewards.

Renee Carter: All right.

Guest (Male): Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and honored guests, welcome to this year's Nobel Prize ceremony.

Renee Carter: Again? Oh, this is getting silly.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Not at all. We're celebrating you and your magnificent achievement.

Renee Carter: It's not that magnificent.

Leonid Zeppin-off: They think it is magnificent. Your public awaits, Renee. Don't leave them hanging.

Renee Carter: All right, all right. One more time. I'm beginning to see why Mr. Whittaker erased this program.

Connie Kendall: You brought me to downtown Odyssey? I thought we were going on an adventure, not to some place I see almost every day.

Malachi: Well, there's no need for you to go on an adventure when you're already in one.

Connie Kendall: I'm in an adventure.

Malachi: Of course. The greatest adventure you could ever ask for. Let me prove it. Look around. Tell me what you see.

Connie Kendall: Just ordinary people shopping and doing business.

Malachi: Now, look again. More closely this time.

Connie Kendall: They're just... oh my. What am I seeing?

Malachi: What are you seeing?

Connie Kendall: The people of Odyssey, but they've all changed. I mean, they're still people, but more than people. What is this? What's going on?

Malachi: You've been given a great gift, Connie. What you're seeing is people as they truly are: complete body, spirit, and soul.

Connie Kendall: Amazing.

Malachi: Indeed. There is no such thing as an ordinary person. And that includes you. Do you notice anything else?

Connie Kendall: Strange. The people are a mixture of the purest, brightest light and the deepest, blackest darkness. But why are some brighter while others are darker?

Malachi: You see those two people walking towards each other? They're about to meet at the corner. Watch what happens when they do.

Guest (Male): Oh, I'm sorry.

Guest (Male): Why can't you watch where you're going?

Guest (Male): Hey, I said I was sorry.

Guest (Male): You're sorry, all right. Some people!

Guest (Male): Same to you!

Connie Kendall: Wow. When they sniped at each other, their brightness dimmed and the darkness increased a lot.

Malachi: Yes. Light and darkness are always and ever contending with each other in the human heart. And you're all helping either the darkness or the light to grow in every encounter you have. A very wise man once called it the weight of glory.

Connie Kendall: But it wasn't even that big of a deal. It's not like it was even a fight or anything. They just bumped into each other and exchanged a few words.

Malachi: But how you deal with people is so important. Even the smallest of encounters matters, as you said, a lot. I'll show you.

Guest (Male): Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and honored guests, welcome to this year's Nobel Prize ceremony.

Renee Carter: No, no, no. Not again. This is ridiculous. Computer, end program! Computer, end program! Computer!

Leonid Zeppin-off: Renee, your public awaits. Isn't this fun?

Renee Carter: No, it's boring! I didn't want to do it again! Computer!

Leonid Zeppin-off: But it's your greatest desire.

Renee Carter: Not anymore! I want to go back to the lab! Stop applauding!

Leonid Zeppin-off: You can't go back, Renee. You can only go on.

Renee Carter: But I'm not going on! I'm just caught in some sort of loop doing the same thing over and over!

Leonid Zeppin-off: Trust the math, Renee. Math will get you through.

Renee Carter: I've trusted it three times already! Door number two!

Leonid Zeppin-off: If that's your choice, what are you waiting for? Step through to a wonderful place with great rewards.

Renee Carter: I know! Only they're not there! See? This is insane! Wait... insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's it! That's it! This time I choose door number three.

Leonid Zeppin-off: Then what are you waiting for? Step through to a wonderful place with great rewards.

Renee Carter: Door number one! No! You said trust the math!

Leonid Zeppin-off: I did. And you should. Unless someone changed math.

Renee Carter: Changed it?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Didn't you know you were dealing with someone who can change the rules?

Renee Carter: But math is math! You can't change it! It's going to save everything!

Leonid Zeppin-off: How can you expect math to save everything when you can't even use it to save yourself, Renee?

Renee Carter: But I even went through the doors of fire!

Leonid Zeppin-off: Yes, because all the doors lead back here, to the perfect future you imagined for yourself.

Renee Carter: I never imagined this! This isn't perfect! How is this possibly heaven?

Leonid Zeppin-off: Who said anything about heaven? Your perfect future isn't heaven. It's knowledge. To know. And now you do. You know your future, your life after death, because you programmed it. You did this.

Renee Carter: But that's not fair!

Leonid Zeppin-off: Beg to differ. You're getting exactly what's fair. Exactly what you deserve. Pick a door, Renee!

Renee Carter: No!

Leonid Zeppin-off: You must pick a door! Pick a door!

Renee Carter: No! End program! End program! End program! Oh, I must have fallen asleep. Oh, it's so peaceful here. Oh, at least it was.

Hi, Jules.

Jules: Connie, where are you?

Connie Kendall: The Riley-Cummins farm. I took your advice and went for a drive. Why? Where are you?

Jules: At Whit's End! Hey, it's only 12:30. You weren't scheduled until 3:00.

Connie Kendall: Well, I forgot today was a half-day at school, teacher in-service, so I came in early.

Jules: And it's a good thing that I did because I had to open.

Connie Kendall: What? Why? Where's Renee?

Jules: You got me. She hasn't shown up and the noon rush has started. I need help.

Connie Kendall: Yeah, okay, okay. I'm on my way.

Malachi: McAllister Park. Yes. Look there, on the swings.

Connie Kendall: Wow. She's so bright. Do you recognize her?

Malachi: No, not really. Well, let me refresh your memory. You were here, at the grocery store.

Connie Kendall: That's me! Oh, is that really what the back of my head looks like?

Malachi: You were going in as the girl was coming out. Now, watch.

Connie Kendall: I know it. I tried to tell her that, but... Oh, sorry. Hang on, Whit. Hey, that looks really heavy. Let me help you.

Guest (Female): No, I got it.

Connie Kendall: You sure?

Guest (Female): Yep.

Connie Kendall: Okay. I love your dress. It matches your pretty eyes. Bye!

Yeah, I remember her now. Well, at least I remember going to the store.

Malachi: Well, that little girl remembers you very well.

Connie Kendall: Really? Why do you think she's so bright?

Malachi: Because of that little meeting. Yes. For you, it was a forgettable moment. But for her, it was a moment that made her shine brighter and chased away the darkness.

Connie Kendall: I was just being kind.

Malachi: You were just being Connie. And your small act of kindness of showing God's love to a stranger, an act you barely even remember doing, that's a moment that made her cheerful for the rest of the day and will even help her through some rough patches later in life.

Connie Kendall: Something that small can make that big of a deal?

Malachi: It can. Sadly, it runs both ways.

Connie Kendall: What do you mean?

Malachi: Look at the bench.

Connie Kendall: Oh, there's another little girl. But she's covered in darkness. Wow. I mean, if you hadn't pointed her out, I wouldn't have even noticed her.

Malachi: You didn't notice her yesterday either.

Connie Kendall: Yesterday?

Malachi: She was here at Whit's End. Corner booth. And here you come.

Guest (Female): Excuse me, Connie?

Connie Kendall: Hmm? Oh, wait! Mr. Whittaker said he wants to see you.

Guest (Female): Oh, yeah? Where is he?

Connie Kendall: In his office. Okay, I'll be right back.

Connie Kendall: She darkened just because I had to meet with Whit?

Malachi: No, she darkened because you never helped her. Not that time, nor the three previous times she asked you.

Connie Kendall: Oh.

Malachi: Besides, do you think Whit would have minded you being a bit late for your meeting because you were helping someone?

Connie Kendall: No.

Malachi: Her home life isn't very pleasant, poor soul. And a little attention would have gone a long way. But she sat in that booth for half an hour. No one helped her. No one even noticed her.

Connie Kendall: I was really distracted yesterday, thinking about my future, about myself.

Malachi: Well, it's a good thing to consider your future, Connie, about what's next. It involves big decisions that must be contemplated. God expects you to move forward in faith, trusting that you're doing what he wants you to do.

But he also knows the plans he has for you, and you can trust that his plans are good. Meanwhile, never forget the here and now, the adventure he's already put you on, that he's put everyone on.

Each person, through the smallest deeds and tiniest actions or inactions, is helping others progress towards the light or the darkness. It's the simple acts of kindness and love, of willing the good of other people. That is the greatest, most noble, most important adventure of all.

But you know that already. And now, I must leave. Cheerio!

Connie Kendall: What? Cheerio! Hey, wait, why?

Malachi: My time with you is at an end, for now. Your adventure calls. And besides, you need to help a friend.

Connie Kendall: But when you go, the memory of all this will be erased. How will I know what to do?

Malachi: You'll know by remembering the one who lives in your heart, the one who will never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus.

Jules: Connie! Oh, thank goodness. Did you get a hold of... Wait, what's going on?

Connie Kendall: I need a double dip of raspberry ripple.

Jules: What? Just dish it up, please.

Jules: Okay, but you told me we're not supposed to eat in front of the customers. Here.

Connie Kendall: It's not for me.

Jules: Then who's it for?

Connie Kendall: Her. Hi there.

Guest (Female): Oh. Hi.

Connie Kendall: I forgot to get your order yesterday, didn't I?

Guest (Female): Yeah, you did.

Connie Kendall: I'm so sorry. Here's a double scoop of raspberry ripple to make up for it, on the house.

Guest (Female): Really?

Connie Kendall: Yeah. And if you need anything else, you just let me know.

Guest (Female): Thanks, Connie!

Jules: She didn't even order that. Why did you do it?

Connie Kendall: I don't know. I just needed to brighten her day. Still no word from Renee?

Jules: No, I tried calling her, but she didn't answer. That is not like her at all. Where could she be?

Guest (Male): Attention passengers, the bus for Pittsburgh is now boarding. Next!

Renee Carter: I reserved a ticket online for Chicago. Renee Carter.

Guest (Male): Yes. Round trip?

Renee Carter: No. One way.

Focus on the Family: With Malachi's help, Connie got a unique look at how light can overcome darkness. Let's hope that light can reach Renee because she needs it more than ever.

John 1:4 refers to Jesus as the light of men, and Matthew 5:14 calls us the light of the world. God wants us to reflect his light by loving others with a kind act, an encouraging word, sharing the hope of the gospel.

Anything we can do to make someone else's life just a little brighter. Seek the light and be the light. That's our job as followers of Jesus.

Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family. Face the Unknown was written and directed by Phil Lollar, with sound design by Luka Gano and Zach Schneider, and music by John Campbell. Our executive producer was Dave Arnold.

Our cast included Phillip Glassboro, Katie Leigh, Shona Rodman, Mike Shapiro, and Caitlyn Thorburn. And I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for more Adventures in Odyssey.