BACK DESIGN2 6'2m?f Creation, justice, salvation, cults JESUS -- (enters) Okay, let's see, where were we. Oh, yes, day six. According to the plan, it's time to create the land animals. (shouts) Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind. (to self) Hey, that's nice! We have wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. Yeah. That's good. ANGEL -- (follows hurriedly reading computer printout) Oh, oh, this is not good. JESUS -- (faces audience, raises hands, shouts) Let us make man in our image.... ANGEL -- No! Wait! JESUS -- Do you mind? I'm right in the middle of creation here. ANGEL -- No, please. Wait! JESUS -- I'm on a rather tight schedule here. The plans call for everything to be done in six days... ANGEL -- ...I know. I've read the plans, Jesus, but.... JESUS -- But what? ANGEL -- It's about those special animals you were going to create. The animals that were going to be designed in your own image. JESUS -- ...The human beings? ANGEL -- Yes, the human beings. The computer predicts that there's a 99.99 percent chance that the human beings will not do as they're told. JESUS -- Yes, I'm aware.... ANGEL -- According to the computer model, some of the humans will make bad decisions, some of them will be self-indulgent, and some of them will even deliberately disobey, for a total of 99.99 percent! JESUS -- Actually, the percentage will be one hundred percent. ANGEL -- You mean you knew about this?! JESUS -- Is that a trick question? ANGEL -- Oh, ah, of course you knew about this! You're God. You know everything. JESUS -- Yes. I do. ANGEL -- But I don't see any design changes in the print out. (points) JESUS -- No. ANGEL -- Well, surely, you're not going to go ahead and create these... these... JESUS -- Humans. Their called humans. They're made in my image. ANGEL -- Well, yes, but if you go ahead and create them with a free will, they'll... they'll reject you! JESUS -- Yes. ANGEL -- Well, then you have to remove their free will. JESUS -- If I create them without a free will, they won't be made in my image. ANGEL -- I don't understand. JESUS -- I designed human beings with a free will so that they have the capacity to love me. If I remove their free will, they'll be robots, without the capacity to love. ANGEL -- Yes, but that's my point! According to the computer, hardly any of them... JESUS -- ...None of them... ANGEL -- ...None of them will choose to love you. JESUS -- Yes, that's right. ANGEL -- Do you know what that means?! JESUS -- (raises finger) ANGEL -- Yes, of course, you know what that means. The wages of sin is.... JESUS -- Death. ANGEL -- You're going to create them and then let them die? JESUS -- No. My design includes a provision for sin. ANGEL -- It does? JESUS -- Yes. ANGEL -- What provision have you made for sin? JESUS -- It's based on a technicality. ANGEL -- What technicality? JESUS -- Technically the human being doesn't have to die for his own sins. ANGEL -- (scans printout) So, you're going to offer the humans the option of animal sacrifices for their sins? JESUS -- Yes, I will but animal sacrifices are not intended to pay for their sins. ANGEL -- They're not? JESUS -- No. The blood of animals is a symbol that sins must be paid for by the shedding of blood. Animal sacrifices aren't enough to atone for the sins of humans because animals don't have a free will. ANGEL -- But if only creatures with a free will can pay for sins, that just leaves the humans themselves... and ANGELS! I... I'm sorry I bothered you... (turns) I... I should be getting back to work... JESUS -- You don't have to worry. ANGEL -- (turns) I don't? JESUS -- No. I created angels to be messengers. There's no provision in my plan to sacrifice angels. ANGEL -- (fans self) Well, that's a relief! JESUS -- But, if you'd like to volunteer... ANGEL -- (turns) I... I should be getting back to work... (turns) Oh, wait a minute! I'm just a created being. JESUS -- So? ANGEL -- So, the death of one created being would only pay for the sins of one created being. Your plans call for a total of... (reads) six billion human beings. It would take six billion angels to pay for their sins. I don't think we've got six billion angels. JESUS -- Very good. But what if the archangel Michael volunteered to give his life? ANGEL -- Oh, that's easy. Michael is just a created being too. At the very most, his death would pay for the sins of one person. JESUS -- Very good. How about if Satan or one of his spirit brothers volunteered to shed his blood for the sins of man? ANGEL -- Oh, that's not very likely. But even if he did, Satan is just a created being too. In fact, he's just a disobedient angel. I doubt that his death would pay for even one created being. JESUS -- Very good. ANGEL -- Well, then, who's going to die for the sins of humanity? There's noone left! JESUS -- Why don't you ask your computer? ANGEL -- (exiting) Oh, yeah. The computer. JESUS -- (faces audience, raises hands, shouts) Let us make man in our image.... (waves hand) male and female they are created. Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ANGEL -- (reenters shouting) I've got it! The computer says.... (stops, reads) Oh, wait a minute! This can't be right! JESUS -- So, who will die for the sins of all these people? ANGEL -- According to the computer, there's only one person who's death is adequate for the sins of more than one created being. JESUS -- And what person is that? ANGEL -- (points to printout) The person who created them. JESUS -- Very good! (motions broadly to audience) Well, I'm finished with the work of creation. (smiles at audience) It is VERY good. (exits) ANGEL -- (follows) You're not REALLY going to die for those ingrateful people, are you, Jesus? JESUS -- That's the plan! ©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net BACK |