Unfair
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
56 Vignettes For Cycle C
Theme
Quit complaining about your life. Repent and trust God.
Summary
Two friends are talking. One is a chronic complainer and the other is getting tired of being a chronic listener and tells the complainer it is not God-like.
Playing Time
4 minutes
Setting
Anywhere friends get together
Props
None
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
NAN
BURT
NAN: (ENTERS WITH BURT) I can't stand it. Life is the pits!
BURT: What's wrong?
NAN: I've just been audited by the IRS and I have to pay five hundred more dollars.
BURT: Ooh, that is bad.
NAN: And the return isn't even last year's; it's the one from the year before last. I guess they haven't even got to last year's yet.
BURT: My uncle got audited once. He said it was not a pleasant experience.
NAN: Why me? That's what I want to know, why me?
BURT: Why not you? You're a taxpayer, aren't you?
NAN: Yes, I am, but I'm not a cheater. I filled my form out in good faith. I paid the tax willingly. I didn't cheat.
BURT: Was there a mistake?
NAN: Yes, there was. Wouldn't you know it? They found some little piddling thing. I swear, five hundred dollars, like I was a criminal or something.
BURT: That's the way it goes, I guess.
NAN: That's all you can say? I was ripped off. I'll swear, that's just my luck. What about all the politicians who get away with ripping us taxpayers off for millions of dollars? I ask you, is it fair?
BURT: It does seem a bit unfair.
NAN: A bit? Do you know that car I sold just last month?
BURT: I remember you put a lot of money into the car.
NAN: I sure did. Just before I sold it I put four hundred dollars into the transmission and then, do you know what? This week I got a letter from the manufacturer saying that they were recalling my car to repair the transmission.
BURT: No kidding. You could have had the transmission repaired and it wouldn't have cost you a cent.
NAN: Tell me about it. Is it my timing, or what?
BURT: It's probably not your timing. It's probably just the way it goes.
NAN: Will you stop saying that! The way it goes -- which way does it go?
BURT: I mean it's just the fact that troubles come and troubles go. That's life.
NAN: I know it's life, but why does it have to be my life?
BURT: Everyone has troubles.
NAN: It doesn't seem like it. It seems like I'm the one who is always having something go wrong.
BURT: Well, you're not the only one.
NAN: Well, it feels like it sometimes. Did the city raise your property tax this year? They did mine.
BURT: Mine went up a little.
NAN: There, you see.
BURT: Now, wait a minute, what about the blessing?
NAN: Like what?
BURT: I mean, only a small percentage of the world's population own their own land.
NAN: Is that right?
BURT: And a smaller percentage of the world own automobiles.
NAN: Here we go. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that we are privileged people, right?
BURT: I was going to say that, but you did it so well, I don't have to.
NAN: And what about taxes?
BURT: Ours are a lot lower than some countries. But that's not the point, is it?
NAN: What is the point?
BURT: The point is that you not only get to pay taxes but you have a voice in the government.
NAN: And most people in the world don't, is that it?
BURT: No, they don't.
NAN: I'm beginning to understand.
BURT: I thought you would.
NAN: But, wait a minute. What about my bad back?
BURT: What are you talking about? How did we leap from taxes to a bad back?
NAN: I have a bad back. Why do I have a bad back?
BURT: How should I know? What's that got to do with anything?
NAN: Well, that's the entire thing, isn't it? I mean, I want to do so much for the Lord and here I have this bad back.
BURT: Are you asking me why God doesn't heal your back?
NAN: Well, yes, you might say that. Why do I have to have a bad back?
BURT: God didn't give you a bad back.
NAN: I know that.
BURT: Well, what are you complaining about?
NAN: Why do I have a bad back?
BURT: I still don't know.
NAN: There must be a reason.
BURT: I agree. But you might never know it.
NAN: Well, ain't that the pits!
BURT: What about ...
NAN: Wait! STOP! Don't tell me about people who are worse off than me.
BURT:
I wasn't going to. I was going to ask you if you ever thought about not complaining so much.
NAN: Everyone complains. It's human nature.
BURT: If you didn't complain so much it would cut down on noise pollution.
NAN: Well, I have plenty to complain about.
BURT: What about last year? I didn't hear you complaining last year.
NAN: Last year was a good year. Everything was going well for me. Of course, I wouldn't complain if everything was going well.
BURT: What's changed?
NAN: My circumstances, that's what.
BURT: No, that's not all that changed.
NAN: What else changed?
BURT: You changed.
NAN: I changed?
BURT: Yes, and for the worse, too. Last year you were not a complainer and this year you are.
NAN: I told you -- last year was a good year and this year certainly has not been.
BURT: What if the circumstances change?
NAN: Do you mean what if things get better?
BURT: Yes, what then?
NAN: Well, I'll quit complaining, of course.
BURT: Then you would change again.
NAN: You just don't understand.
BURT: I understand that you change according to whether things happen the way you want them to or not.
NAN: Well, who doesn't?
BURT: God doesn't?
NAN: Oh. (THEY EXIT)
Quit complaining about your life. Repent and trust God.
Summary
Two friends are talking. One is a chronic complainer and the other is getting tired of being a chronic listener and tells the complainer it is not God-like.
Playing Time
4 minutes
Setting
Anywhere friends get together
Props
None
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
NAN
BURT
NAN: (ENTERS WITH BURT) I can't stand it. Life is the pits!
BURT: What's wrong?
NAN: I've just been audited by the IRS and I have to pay five hundred more dollars.
BURT: Ooh, that is bad.
NAN: And the return isn't even last year's; it's the one from the year before last. I guess they haven't even got to last year's yet.
BURT: My uncle got audited once. He said it was not a pleasant experience.
NAN: Why me? That's what I want to know, why me?
BURT: Why not you? You're a taxpayer, aren't you?
NAN: Yes, I am, but I'm not a cheater. I filled my form out in good faith. I paid the tax willingly. I didn't cheat.
BURT: Was there a mistake?
NAN: Yes, there was. Wouldn't you know it? They found some little piddling thing. I swear, five hundred dollars, like I was a criminal or something.
BURT: That's the way it goes, I guess.
NAN: That's all you can say? I was ripped off. I'll swear, that's just my luck. What about all the politicians who get away with ripping us taxpayers off for millions of dollars? I ask you, is it fair?
BURT: It does seem a bit unfair.
NAN: A bit? Do you know that car I sold just last month?
BURT: I remember you put a lot of money into the car.
NAN: I sure did. Just before I sold it I put four hundred dollars into the transmission and then, do you know what? This week I got a letter from the manufacturer saying that they were recalling my car to repair the transmission.
BURT: No kidding. You could have had the transmission repaired and it wouldn't have cost you a cent.
NAN: Tell me about it. Is it my timing, or what?
BURT: It's probably not your timing. It's probably just the way it goes.
NAN: Will you stop saying that! The way it goes -- which way does it go?
BURT: I mean it's just the fact that troubles come and troubles go. That's life.
NAN: I know it's life, but why does it have to be my life?
BURT: Everyone has troubles.
NAN: It doesn't seem like it. It seems like I'm the one who is always having something go wrong.
BURT: Well, you're not the only one.
NAN: Well, it feels like it sometimes. Did the city raise your property tax this year? They did mine.
BURT: Mine went up a little.
NAN: There, you see.
BURT: Now, wait a minute, what about the blessing?
NAN: Like what?
BURT: I mean, only a small percentage of the world's population own their own land.
NAN: Is that right?
BURT: And a smaller percentage of the world own automobiles.
NAN: Here we go. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that we are privileged people, right?
BURT: I was going to say that, but you did it so well, I don't have to.
NAN: And what about taxes?
BURT: Ours are a lot lower than some countries. But that's not the point, is it?
NAN: What is the point?
BURT: The point is that you not only get to pay taxes but you have a voice in the government.
NAN: And most people in the world don't, is that it?
BURT: No, they don't.
NAN: I'm beginning to understand.
BURT: I thought you would.
NAN: But, wait a minute. What about my bad back?
BURT: What are you talking about? How did we leap from taxes to a bad back?
NAN: I have a bad back. Why do I have a bad back?
BURT: How should I know? What's that got to do with anything?
NAN: Well, that's the entire thing, isn't it? I mean, I want to do so much for the Lord and here I have this bad back.
BURT: Are you asking me why God doesn't heal your back?
NAN: Well, yes, you might say that. Why do I have to have a bad back?
BURT: God didn't give you a bad back.
NAN: I know that.
BURT: Well, what are you complaining about?
NAN: Why do I have a bad back?
BURT: I still don't know.
NAN: There must be a reason.
BURT: I agree. But you might never know it.
NAN: Well, ain't that the pits!
BURT: What about ...
NAN: Wait! STOP! Don't tell me about people who are worse off than me.
BURT:
I wasn't going to. I was going to ask you if you ever thought about not complaining so much.
NAN: Everyone complains. It's human nature.
BURT: If you didn't complain so much it would cut down on noise pollution.
NAN: Well, I have plenty to complain about.
BURT: What about last year? I didn't hear you complaining last year.
NAN: Last year was a good year. Everything was going well for me. Of course, I wouldn't complain if everything was going well.
BURT: What's changed?
NAN: My circumstances, that's what.
BURT: No, that's not all that changed.
NAN: What else changed?
BURT: You changed.
NAN: I changed?
BURT: Yes, and for the worse, too. Last year you were not a complainer and this year you are.
NAN: I told you -- last year was a good year and this year certainly has not been.
BURT: What if the circumstances change?
NAN: Do you mean what if things get better?
BURT: Yes, what then?
NAN: Well, I'll quit complaining, of course.
BURT: Then you would change again.
NAN: You just don't understand.
BURT: I understand that you change according to whether things happen the way you want them to or not.
NAN: Well, who doesn't?
BURT: God doesn't?
NAN: Oh. (THEY EXIT)
