S112

Society Protocol 12

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the city of casinos also known as Sin City. When it was decided that this would be the venue for the meeting to verify God's revelation, the two Korean pastors had doubts.

The American pastor preparing for the opening, with whom they had been exchanging emails, sent a brief reply stating that the hotel rates there were the cheapest,

and that the dining and amenities were excellent, and the convention center was of the highest standard.

When Pastor Hwang received the email and asked again if it was indeed the famous Las Vegas they knew,

He received a reply confirming that it was indeed the place.

He said that if the gathering were limited to people within the United States, they would meet in Denver, Colorado, but since there are also a few people coming from abroad this time, they decided that Las Vegas was the most suitable location.

It also included advice that it would be good to look around and see the local scene firsthand before attending the meeting.

Pastor Kang and Pastor Hwang traveled frequently across the United States, but they had never even considered going to Las Vegas.

Although they belonged to different denominations, they had visited Salt Lake City due to their interest in Mormonism.

They had also visited churches with Korean communities in New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and other places.

However, it was a place they had never expected.

Not a single believer said they would return home immediately after the meeting at the prayer retreat.

Pastor Hwang, who had thought that less than half would remain, gained a sense of courage.

The fact that there were many people who believed in him gave him great strength. So, he modified his initial plan slightly.

They intended to spend five days in a state akin to confinement to reflect on the matter further and achieve the effect of keeping it a secret from the outside world, but upon hearing that everyone would be participating, they decided that those with time would stay at the prayer retreat for five days, while those who had to go to work, their companies, or work immediately would go to Seoul on Monday and reconvene at the retreat on Thursday when the pastor's group returned.

They also decided together through a meeting to find someone to take Friday off or fill in for if possible, and to deliberate over the three days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Pastor Hwang had to book a hotel in Las Vegas for Pastor Kang to stay at.

The two of them would attend the meeting, while the associate pastor had to look after the church to ensure there was no gap in the Sunday service.

So, it was decided that two evangelists and two elders who were close associates of Pastor Kang would join them.

They were scheduled to stay at the hotel while the pastors attended the meeting.

The evangelist booked a hotel in Las Vegas.

He had never been there either, so he had no idea what the atmosphere was like.

So, he booked a hotel near Main Street.

It was a hotel named Sahara.

It was not a luxury hotel, and the price was relatively affordable.

They had chosen it believing it would be located in the center of Las Vegas.

However, the hotel they arrived at after flying and splitting into taxis was at the very edge of Las Vegas.

It used to be the center of the old downtown, but it had since expanded, and the city center had shifted significantly.

It was a kind of amusing incident, but no one seemed to care.

Although they were open-minded, as people of faith, they felt as though they were committing a great sin.

However, the moment they looked around the city together, their thoughts changed.

It was just like a tourist spot, and there were many families holding hands watching free shows taking place outside the hotel. There were many couples, and there seemed to be many newlyweds as well.

It was quite different from their image of it being a smelly place where people would stagger around drunk on drugs or alcohol.

Perhaps that is why I chose it. The streets were wide, and all the hotels were huge.

There were places shaped like pyramids, and there were places resembling the Statue of Liberty.

The hotel where they were staying was the color of a desert.

Although the hotel was old, a single room was about the size of an average middle-class apartment in Korea.

And yet, the price was around 50,000 Korean won.

The party from Korea, having entered a pyramid-shaped hotel and enjoyed a buffet meal,

was astonished by the magnificent feast.

It was filled with unfamiliar foods, was extravagant, and was not particularly expensive considering the quality of the food served.

They had arrived in fear that the world was ending, but they forgot all of that and began to enjoy the abundance.

It was said that the word Las Vegas itself means "wealth" in Latin.

It is also said that it was actually Mormons who first discovered this oasis.

As evening fell and darkness descended, a fountain show took place in front of the Bellagio Hotel.

The fountains sprayed water here and there, accompanied by magnificent music.

Then, the water jets began to dance to the music.

Then, lights shone, and finally, fireworks exploded, bringing the show to an end.

All of this was free. It was like paradise.

Tomorrow, while the pastors held a meeting, the group was scheduled to depart for the Grand Canyon on a bus provided by the organizers.

They had received a message instructing them to prepare in advance, as they would be leaving at dawn.

They hadn't come here for fun, yet the situation unfolding was completely different from what they had expected.

They had anticipated people gathering in a serious atmosphere, stern pastors coming out of a dark, basement-like room to preach,

and shouting that they were all dead, but the reality was a continuous stream of joy the moment they arrived.

Pastor Hwang was particularly delighted.

He would sneak into the casino unbeknownst to others, spin the slot machines a few times, and then leave.

At first, when his bets were low, he was lucky enough to hit something resembling a jackpot, causing his game money to accumulate.

However, as he became greedy and began raising his bet amounts,

from then on, he didn't win anything.

Eventually, after the game ended, he felt a sense of relief, but also a wave of regret washed over him regarding the fact that he, a pastor, had been spinning slot machines.

He offered a prayer of repentance to God.

He thought that, in his opinion, he had probably lacked a prayer of thanksgiving when he won the money.

However, the joy was short-lived.

The evangelist and the elder who were with them went to their respective rooms, and at midnight, Pastor Hwang and Pastor Kang boarded a massive SUV sent by the organizers and headed to a hotel in the center of Las Vegas.

It was a hotel they had seen in movies. Yes, it was the very hotel where the fountain show had taken place earlier.

The car stopped at the hotel entrance, and the two pastors got out.

Pastor Branson, who was acquainted with the two, was waiting at the hotel lobby.

Pastor Kang and Pastor Branson embraced, and a moment later, shook hands with Pastor Hwang.

Then, they entered the room where people were gathered together.

The place where the people had gathered had the atmosphere of a kind of penthouse.

It was a suite with several connected rooms and a living room in the center.

Sofas were arranged in the living room according to the number of guests.

It appeared they had requested this from the hotel.

The two pastors, who had expected to gather in a small church or a convention hall,

looked around, seemingly unable to adjust to the spacious hotel room.

The two people who had been chatting at their seats rose to welcome the two pastors from Korea.

A pastor from Colorado, who said he had served as a military chaplain in Korea, even greeted them in broken Korean.

The people gathered were mostly Americans, and a few Black people were also visible.

One person each from Germany and the United Kingdom also attended. A total of 24 people had gathered.

Among them, eight people received the revelation directly.

There was a high possibility that there were more, but since they could not tell who was who,

they must have been agonizing over it alone somewhere.

A young pastor named Jackson rose from his seat and began to pray.

Once the prayer was over, Jackson presided over the service.

He began to briefly explain what he had experienced,

and the people remained in a long silence, saying little more than occasional nods.

The issue boiled down to finding a way to gather people.

This was because there would clearly be limitations if he relied solely on people he knew to share these stories.

Reverend Jackson, who had been leading the meeting, raised his hand and announced his opinion.

“Salvation is only received among those who know each other? That is nonsense. The God I know is the most fair and loves everyone. Therefore, I believe we should instead publicly express our thoughts and gather those who share them.”

The fact that the authoritative pastors gathered here did not speak of this, even to their own congregations, was tantamount to self-censorship, as the content resembled the behavior of a religious criminal group.

It was because it bore a striking resemblance to the content of groups labeled as heretical.

However, publicly announcing this was beyond their common sense.

“Surely, there will be those who doubt. And even among those who do not yet know God, there are likely people somewhere who share the same thoughts as they personally experience and feel the crisis facing humanity today. I believe their faith may be even deeper. Therefore, I think it is right to disclose what has happened publicly, inform the people, and then give those who wish to participate an opportunity. I dare to speculate that this might be God’s will.”

Pastor Jackson expressed his opinions before the elders without hesitation.

Just like Pastor Hwang from Korea, who stood at the center of this meeting, Pastor Jackson was a case of someone who started alone from the beginning, expanded the scale, and increased the number of believers by holding worship services via the internet.

It was Jackson's drive that led to the suggestion to meet at a hotel in Las Vegas.

This was because the older pastors had always worried and feared the concepts of good and evil.

They were also afraid of public scrutiny.

However, the young pastor did not consider such public attention and openly expressed his convictions and faith.

Furthermore, as he said, nothing could be achieved through a closed structure where only those who know each other receive salvation.

And since God is not someone who judges by school ties or regional connections, but one who loves everyone,

some pastors with open hearts nodded in agreement to Jackson's words.

Pastor Branson began to share his thoughts while Jackson paused for a moment.

“I cannot rashly follow Jackson’s opinion because I am worried that the opposite might happen. We could face condemnation from society as a whole, and believers might be discriminated against and despised by others. Then, the weak-willed among the two groups will drop out. If people leave one by one, we might eventually find it difficult to save even ten people, just like Sodom and Gomorrah. So, let us think about this for a moment.”

A Black pastor named Thomas, who had been listening to Pastor Branson's story, stood up from his seat.

He was a Black pastor ministering in New Orleans. He spoke in a loud voice.

“God has warned of judgment, and that judgment must not be a privilege for those who know. Only those who hear the warning and correct themselves will be saved. Only they will be able to escape judgment. Look at how Moses created the scriptures and made them known to the people. He created the Ten Commandments and made them known to the people. It was not a matter of keeping them to himself while leaving others to sin, die, or do nothing. He made them known to everyone so that they could be distinguished between those who keep them and those who do not. Just as it is said that the chaff will fly away and the wheat will remain, no matter what persecution, suffering, or stoning we face, we are people who have a duty to overcome it and keep the Lord's will, just like Jesus who carried the cross.”

Thomas's powerful cry resonated with those inside.

Even Pastor Branson, who had been opposed, wore an expression of agreement.

He looked around at the people nearby and wondered about the opinion of his friend, the pastor from Korea.

“Pastor Kang, what do you think?”

The reputation of the Asian pastor from Korea was already known among the pastors here.

There were even pastors who used his sermons as a reference when delivering messages to their congregations at their own churches.

Pastor Kang rose from his seat, offered his thanks, and began to speak.

“I was short-sighted. Perhaps I tried to judge people like God. Looking back now, I am ashamed that I even attempted to select those who would be saved. I have realized once again that I am nothing more than a mere servant of God. I am curious about the thoughts of the pastors present here. I have only now realized that even if I am treated as a heretic, I have a duty to share what I have seen and heard with people. That I must move forward even if I am struck by stones and spat upon.”

It was now practically a done deal.

They decided to form a new sect to put God's word into practice.

All authority was delegated to Jackson.