Can Anything Good Come From ____________?
Drama
Thespian Theology
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany -- Cycle B
Thespian Theological Thoughts
"Can anything good come from __________________ (fill in the blank)?" We all have these little geographical/social prejudices, don't we? I confess that mine relates to a town adjacent to me. "Those high society people are so lah-dee-dah and shallow," I crow, clucking my tongue in righteous indignation.
And then I listen to myself, and I remember something I was told many years ago: Whenever you hear a sentence beginning with "those people," you are about to hear the voice of prejudice. Our human tendency is to put labels on people, and labels enable us to express prejudice and hatred, however subtly.
Nathanael must have been guilty of this human tendency: How can anything good come from a nowhere place like Nazareth? But then, here comes the God of the unexpected, the God of no labels, the God of unconditional acceptance -- and he changes all that for Nathanael, and for you and me. He sees us under the fig tree -- or driving our gummed-up car from the girlfriend's house -- and he reaches out and fixes us. He shows us that "those people" are just like us. We must love our neighbors --Òall of them!
So, I challenge you: Think about your own geographical/social prejudices against "those people." Then fill in the blank, and have some fun with this play!
Cast
Narrator
No-Nonsense Nate
Jesse
Props/Costumes
Jesse -- t-shirt that says "Jesse _________"; small package (fuel filter)
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Can anything good come from ____________? Whether we admit it or not, we all have prejudices like that: Red Sox fans hate the Yankees; country folk can't stand the big city; and city dwellers look down on suburbanites. (Nate enters stage right) Take my man No-Nonsense Nate, here. Nate prides himself on being a straight-shooter.
Nate: That's right, bro'! With me, what ya see is what ya get! I'm the kind of guy who always tells it like it is.
Narrator: Unfortunately, the way it is, isn't always very nice!
Nate: Well, hey, the world isn't always "very nice," ya know! I absolutely refuse to be politically correct.
Narrator: Well, good for you, Nate! "Politically correct" isn't exactly the popular way to be these days, is it? But speaking of "politically correct," Nate, you're on the high school debate team, right?
Nate: Sho 'nuff!
Narrator: So, Nate, are you ready for the match tonight against the ____________ debate team?
Nate: You bet your sweet patootie I am! We're gonna clobber those turkeys from ____________!
Narrator: So, what's the subject of your debate, Nate?
Nate: Our subject is: "Resolved: That 'if God is God, he is not good. If God is good, he is not God.' " And lemme tell ya, on that subject I can prove my point!
Narrator: Oh, really?
Nate: Fer suuuure. If God is good, then why is there such misery in the world?
Narrator: I'm not even gonna try to answer that question.
(Jesse enters stage left; he is wearing a t-shirt which says "Jesse ____________.")
Jesse: May I try to answer that?
Nate: No!
Narrator: Nate, what's the matter with you? Why won't you listen to this brother?
Nate: What "brother" are you talkin' about? Look at this bozo. He's from ____________, fer-Pete's-sake! Can anything good come from ____________?
Narrator: But maybe you should listen to him, Nate. He may have words of life for you.
Nate: Yo, can anything good come from ____________?
Jesse: Nate, let's get back to the subject here. You asked why there is such misery in the world.
Nate: Yeah. And how can somebody from ____________ answer a question like that?
Jesse: Well, I think that -- perhaps -- there is so much misery in the world because people keep asking questions like: "Can anything good come from ____________?"
Nate: What do you mean?
Jesse: Prejudice is why there is so much misery in the world, Nate! It's got nothing to do with whether or not God is good -- for God is good, believe me!
Nate: So, you're saying that ...
Jesse: I'm saying that you can't blame God for the misery in the world. Human arrogance and prejudice and hatred and greed are to blame.
Nate: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard all that malarkey a million times. But answer me this, Mr. Wise-Guy from ____________: If God is so all-fired almighty, why does he allow all this rotten stuff to keep on happening?
Jesse: Why don't we save this discussion for the debate tonight, Nate?
Nate: What's the matter, Wisenheimer, you scared of my question?
Jesse: Not at all, Nate. (Tries to put his arm around Nate's shoulder) Come on, I'll buy you dinner before the debate.
Nate: (Pulls away from Jesse) No-thank-you! I'll just see you at the debate, turkey! (Exits stage right)
Jesse: Suit yourself, bro'! (Shrugs and exits stage left)
Narrator: Hmmmmm. Seems to me that ol' Nate could benefit from a few weeks at charm school.
(Nate enters stage right; he is very agitated)
Nate: Razzle-frazzle! That gol'-darned blagstaggin' ol' piece of junk! Now what am I gonna do?
Narrator: Yo Nate, ol' buddy. What's up?
Nate: My stinkin' car won't start! Now, how am I gonna get to the debate?
Narrator: Maybe you're out of gas, Nate.
Nate: No, you moron: I wouldn't do something stupid like that! I just filled up this morning. I lifted the hood and checked the frammis and glotz and freebish. Everything seems to be all right. I don't know what else to do! I need somebody who can fix my car ... and I need him now!
(Jesse enters stage left)
Jesse: Here I am.
Nate: Well, wowzie-wowzie-woo! What good are you, Mr. God-Is-Good from ____________?
Jesse: Your fuel filter is all gummed up, Nate. (Pulls a package from his pocket) I've got a new one; it'll take me about ten minutes to put it in.
Nate: How did you know?
Jesse: I saw your car when you left your girlfriend's house this afternoon, Nate.
Nate: But ... Man, you must be some kind of miracle-worker!
(Jesse puts his arm around Nate's shoulder; this time Nate doesn't pull back)
Jesse: You think I'm a miracle-worker because I can fix your car, Nate? Come with me, and I'll fix more than your car.
(Jesse and Nate exit together stage right)
"Can anything good come from __________________ (fill in the blank)?" We all have these little geographical/social prejudices, don't we? I confess that mine relates to a town adjacent to me. "Those high society people are so lah-dee-dah and shallow," I crow, clucking my tongue in righteous indignation.
And then I listen to myself, and I remember something I was told many years ago: Whenever you hear a sentence beginning with "those people," you are about to hear the voice of prejudice. Our human tendency is to put labels on people, and labels enable us to express prejudice and hatred, however subtly.
Nathanael must have been guilty of this human tendency: How can anything good come from a nowhere place like Nazareth? But then, here comes the God of the unexpected, the God of no labels, the God of unconditional acceptance -- and he changes all that for Nathanael, and for you and me. He sees us under the fig tree -- or driving our gummed-up car from the girlfriend's house -- and he reaches out and fixes us. He shows us that "those people" are just like us. We must love our neighbors --Òall of them!
So, I challenge you: Think about your own geographical/social prejudices against "those people." Then fill in the blank, and have some fun with this play!
Cast
Narrator
No-Nonsense Nate
Jesse
Props/Costumes
Jesse -- t-shirt that says "Jesse _________"; small package (fuel filter)
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Can anything good come from ____________? Whether we admit it or not, we all have prejudices like that: Red Sox fans hate the Yankees; country folk can't stand the big city; and city dwellers look down on suburbanites. (Nate enters stage right) Take my man No-Nonsense Nate, here. Nate prides himself on being a straight-shooter.
Nate: That's right, bro'! With me, what ya see is what ya get! I'm the kind of guy who always tells it like it is.
Narrator: Unfortunately, the way it is, isn't always very nice!
Nate: Well, hey, the world isn't always "very nice," ya know! I absolutely refuse to be politically correct.
Narrator: Well, good for you, Nate! "Politically correct" isn't exactly the popular way to be these days, is it? But speaking of "politically correct," Nate, you're on the high school debate team, right?
Nate: Sho 'nuff!
Narrator: So, Nate, are you ready for the match tonight against the ____________ debate team?
Nate: You bet your sweet patootie I am! We're gonna clobber those turkeys from ____________!
Narrator: So, what's the subject of your debate, Nate?
Nate: Our subject is: "Resolved: That 'if God is God, he is not good. If God is good, he is not God.' " And lemme tell ya, on that subject I can prove my point!
Narrator: Oh, really?
Nate: Fer suuuure. If God is good, then why is there such misery in the world?
Narrator: I'm not even gonna try to answer that question.
(Jesse enters stage left; he is wearing a t-shirt which says "Jesse ____________.")
Jesse: May I try to answer that?
Nate: No!
Narrator: Nate, what's the matter with you? Why won't you listen to this brother?
Nate: What "brother" are you talkin' about? Look at this bozo. He's from ____________, fer-Pete's-sake! Can anything good come from ____________?
Narrator: But maybe you should listen to him, Nate. He may have words of life for you.
Nate: Yo, can anything good come from ____________?
Jesse: Nate, let's get back to the subject here. You asked why there is such misery in the world.
Nate: Yeah. And how can somebody from ____________ answer a question like that?
Jesse: Well, I think that -- perhaps -- there is so much misery in the world because people keep asking questions like: "Can anything good come from ____________?"
Nate: What do you mean?
Jesse: Prejudice is why there is so much misery in the world, Nate! It's got nothing to do with whether or not God is good -- for God is good, believe me!
Nate: So, you're saying that ...
Jesse: I'm saying that you can't blame God for the misery in the world. Human arrogance and prejudice and hatred and greed are to blame.
Nate: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard all that malarkey a million times. But answer me this, Mr. Wise-Guy from ____________: If God is so all-fired almighty, why does he allow all this rotten stuff to keep on happening?
Jesse: Why don't we save this discussion for the debate tonight, Nate?
Nate: What's the matter, Wisenheimer, you scared of my question?
Jesse: Not at all, Nate. (Tries to put his arm around Nate's shoulder) Come on, I'll buy you dinner before the debate.
Nate: (Pulls away from Jesse) No-thank-you! I'll just see you at the debate, turkey! (Exits stage right)
Jesse: Suit yourself, bro'! (Shrugs and exits stage left)
Narrator: Hmmmmm. Seems to me that ol' Nate could benefit from a few weeks at charm school.
(Nate enters stage right; he is very agitated)
Nate: Razzle-frazzle! That gol'-darned blagstaggin' ol' piece of junk! Now what am I gonna do?
Narrator: Yo Nate, ol' buddy. What's up?
Nate: My stinkin' car won't start! Now, how am I gonna get to the debate?
Narrator: Maybe you're out of gas, Nate.
Nate: No, you moron: I wouldn't do something stupid like that! I just filled up this morning. I lifted the hood and checked the frammis and glotz and freebish. Everything seems to be all right. I don't know what else to do! I need somebody who can fix my car ... and I need him now!
(Jesse enters stage left)
Jesse: Here I am.
Nate: Well, wowzie-wowzie-woo! What good are you, Mr. God-Is-Good from ____________?
Jesse: Your fuel filter is all gummed up, Nate. (Pulls a package from his pocket) I've got a new one; it'll take me about ten minutes to put it in.
Nate: How did you know?
Jesse: I saw your car when you left your girlfriend's house this afternoon, Nate.
Nate: But ... Man, you must be some kind of miracle-worker!
(Jesse puts his arm around Nate's shoulder; this time Nate doesn't pull back)
Jesse: You think I'm a miracle-worker because I can fix your car, Nate? Come with me, and I'll fix more than your car.
(Jesse and Nate exit together stage right)
