Your trip to heaven is departing in 25 minutes from the corner of Hollywood & Highland...

These images are from a week-old adventure through LA, but they're too perfect not to share. As Renee and I traipsed through Hollywood last Saturday, God seemed to follow us everywhere.

God actually started chatting me up the evening before as I drove to Home in Silverlake.

Then on Saturday, we were lured toward Hollywood & Highland, tourist Sin Central, where anti-war protesters were finishing a march along closed-down Hollywood Boulevard...


Beside the cops...

And the cops on horses...

God was there...

He had a sign. And he had buddies working to spread the gospel...

Including Jesus--the most righteous of all the costumed characters standing outside the Mann Chinese...

And some young zealots offering God money on the streets and some solid advice on getting to heaven.

Our conversation went something like this paraphrased nonsense...

Renee and I: So, what is this for? Does this fake money get us into heaven?
Young Zealot: Have you ever lied, sinned, or stolen?
Me: Yeah--have you?
YZ: Yes, but I've repented. You have to forsake it and humble yourself before God. If you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you can get into heaven.
Renee and I: So, are we like, cool to get into heaven then cause we just took these god bills?
YZ: You can repent here or you can go home and do it.
Me: Is this going to be a problem if I'm Jewish?
YZ: If you're Jewish, Jesus is your messiah.
Me: So...I'm, like, already saved then? Cool.

This is right around the time that our young friend called over 'Pastor Steve' to see if there were any bibles left.

Our righteous buddy kindly gave me the holy book, offered his email address and then...gave me back my pen because he "didn't want to steal." Oh, good Lord.

Even the Virgin store was selling religion. Here's Renee with some 'Lookin Good for Jesus' skincare products. Virgin selling Jesus products?! Get it?! Puntastic, eh...

Saved, lotioned up and ready for Jesus. All in a day's holy work.

Life in Los Angeles: women washing cars.

I went to work out in Silverlake this morning and I noticed these women across the street energetically waving signs around advertising 'Car Wash.'

I was surprised to see what I thought were Orthodox Jewish women engaging in a car wash promotion. A) It is Saturday, the Sabbath. B) Orthodox Jewish women just generally don't do things like this. Trust me.

Then I looked up to realize these industrious women were standing in front of the Iglesia Central, something I think--from my time in LA--is a religious Latino thing.

Either way, I felt a bit odd about the prospect of driving up to a car wash where religious women--Hassidic, Catholic, or otherwise--in long skirts and modest wears, would be scrubbing down my car [which is, coincidentally, very, very dirty].

I'd feel better about girls like the below washing my car. They're already demeaning themselves so I don't need to feel guilty about it.

Do Good: The Great Schlep.

Jewish? Wish you were Jewish? Of course you do. We're the chosen people.

Visit The Great Schlep. Influence change.


The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.