Earl Lovett is an eight-year-old boy from a small Southern town called Ellenwood outside Atlanta. He moves to Soulsville, Memphis Tennessee for the summer. There, he and his cousin, Brent, Play marbles with Country music playing in the background. A van approaches. On it, blood-red lettering reads "God's Caravan". On the side, another red inscription says "To Heaven or Bust". A pastor steps out of the vehicle, dressed in robes. He approaches the two boys and says, "welcome to God's Caravan". Earl reflects on religion in his own household. His mother is a Christian whereas his schizophrenic father is a practicing Muslim. His father's delusions have left him looking for another father figure. The caravan Pastor John breaks into song. His strange lyrics and forced enthusiasm make Earl anxious. Baptist Pastor John preaches to his audience about St. John (the malicious apostle that Jesus loved). Earl becomes enamored with Pastor John and leaves the service feeling the spirit of Jesus. Over dinner Earl tells his family about Pastor John. His Gram is delighted that he and Brent found God. The very next Sunday the boys bring their Pop to GC. Earl considers his father's affair with a white woman. He wonders, if he was her son would he look more like Jesus? Pastor John greets his congregation outside of GC. He sings a jingle with a few racist slurs and then tells a bible story, just like last week. He praises Earl for his unblinking admiration; he tells him "you fly". After that moment, Earl starts calling himself fly. Next week, the boys bring their Gram with them. She, too, becomes enamored with Pastor John's unconventional preaching--his strange bible stories and weird hymns. Pastor John even serves a real loaf of bread at Communion! One day, Fly goes into the van and the Pastor tells him he was not supposed to have been born. He asks his mother about it and she tells him that he was born, he was not breathing but eventually, he came to. Fly asks Pastor John what his purpose is. The spiritual guide responds "to love". Fly begins collecting money for the Caravan. In the end, Fly discovers that Pastor John was a fraud—he scammed people by impersonating different denominations throughout the South. Still, Fly admires the man who "saved him".