The Dungeon
Youth Resources
REVIVING THE SPARK
Study Skits Of Biblical Truths For Youth
Characters:
Vala
Athena
Man
Setting:
A dark, underground dungeon
Athena: Come, Vala, let us play another game.
Vala: I tire of games. There must be more to life than this cave and games. I cry out for purpose.
Athena: You trouble yourself again - of other worlds. It is here. It is now. It is gone. Live all you can while you can.
Vala: Such thoughts do not satisfy me.
Athena: You fret to no good end. (Exit Athena to the left)
Vala: I seek more. There must be more. (Enter man from the right)
Man: Vala! (She covers her eyes) You will soon become accustomed. Your cries have been heard. You are ransomed from this dungeon of existence without life. A great king has given his life in exchange for your freedom.
Vala: Why did he have to give his life?
Man: To atone for all the wrongs you have done.
Vala: I have done much wrong. And he loved me anyway?
Man: Yes - and now come and meet the one who has died for you, and yet who lives again.
Vala: First, I must tell Athena. She will also want to come. (Vala exits left calling for Athena. They reenter together) Come, Athena let us leave this cave and meet one who loves us!
Athena: What are these strange words? Do not tire me.
Vala: This man shows us the way from here. Do you not see the light?
Athena: You hallucinate, Vala. I see nothing.
Vala: A great king has died to set us free from our sins. Come, Athena.
Athena: You accuse me? I had thought we were friends.
Vala: We are. (Turning to the man) Tell her what you told me.
Man: She cannot see or hear me, Vala. She sees not her need.
Vala: Athena, come with me into the light.
Athena: And leave my games? You are most strange. (Athena exits left)
Man: Come, Vala. Perhaps she will see at a later time.
The Dungeon
Questions to consider:
1. Why was Vala ready to hear the truth while Athena was not?
2. Why couldn't Athena see?
3. Why did Athena take Vala's mention of sin as an accusation?
4. What might constitute a later time when Athena will be able to see?
The key point:
There are three purposes in life: to live for ourselves, to live for others, or to live for God. The lowest is to live for ourselves. Such people have no greater purpose than to do what brings pleasure. They descend to ever greater indulgences in order to bring about the desired "high" and ultimately find them-selves trapped in horrendous personal circumstances.
To live for others is a higher purpose. But without God we cannot meet their most important needs. We treat symptoms and not the root causes. Solutions can never go above this temporal earth.
To live for God is to view all of life from His eternal perspective. To know God is to worship Him, to know ourselves, and to be the best equipped to meet the needs of others. Thus we live best for ourselves and others when we first live for God.
Vala knew that intuitively and so was ready to hear the truth. Athena was so steeped in her "games" that she could not see her need or the one who wanted to meet her need.
It is a cop-out to "live the life" before unbelievers but never to tell them about our Savior. When we speak, some will respond positively, and others will not. It is not our job to badger those who do not. We don't give up on them, but we do back off from preaching to them and "live the life." Perhaps at a later time a crisis will enter that person's life, and he or she will be ready to hear.
Vala
Athena
Man
Setting:
A dark, underground dungeon
Athena: Come, Vala, let us play another game.
Vala: I tire of games. There must be more to life than this cave and games. I cry out for purpose.
Athena: You trouble yourself again - of other worlds. It is here. It is now. It is gone. Live all you can while you can.
Vala: Such thoughts do not satisfy me.
Athena: You fret to no good end. (Exit Athena to the left)
Vala: I seek more. There must be more. (Enter man from the right)
Man: Vala! (She covers her eyes) You will soon become accustomed. Your cries have been heard. You are ransomed from this dungeon of existence without life. A great king has given his life in exchange for your freedom.
Vala: Why did he have to give his life?
Man: To atone for all the wrongs you have done.
Vala: I have done much wrong. And he loved me anyway?
Man: Yes - and now come and meet the one who has died for you, and yet who lives again.
Vala: First, I must tell Athena. She will also want to come. (Vala exits left calling for Athena. They reenter together) Come, Athena let us leave this cave and meet one who loves us!
Athena: What are these strange words? Do not tire me.
Vala: This man shows us the way from here. Do you not see the light?
Athena: You hallucinate, Vala. I see nothing.
Vala: A great king has died to set us free from our sins. Come, Athena.
Athena: You accuse me? I had thought we were friends.
Vala: We are. (Turning to the man) Tell her what you told me.
Man: She cannot see or hear me, Vala. She sees not her need.
Vala: Athena, come with me into the light.
Athena: And leave my games? You are most strange. (Athena exits left)
Man: Come, Vala. Perhaps she will see at a later time.
The Dungeon
Questions to consider:
1. Why was Vala ready to hear the truth while Athena was not?
2. Why couldn't Athena see?
3. Why did Athena take Vala's mention of sin as an accusation?
4. What might constitute a later time when Athena will be able to see?
The key point:
There are three purposes in life: to live for ourselves, to live for others, or to live for God. The lowest is to live for ourselves. Such people have no greater purpose than to do what brings pleasure. They descend to ever greater indulgences in order to bring about the desired "high" and ultimately find them-selves trapped in horrendous personal circumstances.
To live for others is a higher purpose. But without God we cannot meet their most important needs. We treat symptoms and not the root causes. Solutions can never go above this temporal earth.
To live for God is to view all of life from His eternal perspective. To know God is to worship Him, to know ourselves, and to be the best equipped to meet the needs of others. Thus we live best for ourselves and others when we first live for God.
Vala knew that intuitively and so was ready to hear the truth. Athena was so steeped in her "games" that she could not see her need or the one who wanted to meet her need.
It is a cop-out to "live the life" before unbelievers but never to tell them about our Savior. When we speak, some will respond positively, and others will not. It is not our job to badger those who do not. We don't give up on them, but we do back off from preaching to them and "live the life." Perhaps at a later time a crisis will enter that person's life, and he or she will be ready to hear.
