BACK WORKS2 5'?m2f Are works the cause or the result of salvation? LIZ -- (enters hurriedly, wearing white lab coat, carrying two computer printouts, shouts) Professor Tizdale? AMY -- (from offstage) I'll be right out. LIZ -- Good. You are not going to believe what I just discovered! (sets printouts on podium) AMY -- (enters, wearing white lab coat, examining a bug in a jar) Professor Johnson! What brings you to the entomology lab? LIZ -- (points to printouts) Do the words "Nobel Prize" mean anything to you? AMY -- That looks like a DNA molecule. Why are you looking at DNA? You're an expert on bats, not genetics. LIZ -- It's a long story. It started when I was examining the ears of a fruit bat with an electron microscope. I found that I got a better picture if I cooled down the specimen with liquid nitrogen. And that's when it hit me. AMY -- That's when what hit you? LIZ -- Cooling down DNA. AMY -- Uh huh. LIZ -- Human DNA. AMY -- Uh huh. LIZ -- (points) Look at it! Isn't it magnificent?! AMY -- Professor Johnson, I'm an entomologist, (holds up jar) I study bugs. I'm not a geneticist. Perhaps you should show your discovery to someone else... LIZ -- ...No! Don't you see?! This has theological implications. And since you're a Christian, I wanted to show you first. AMY -- Well, thank you, but... LIZ -- You have no idea how momentus this discovery is, do you? AMY -- No, as I said I... LIZ -- (points to printouts) This is me. AMY -- Uh huh. Professor Johnson, have you been getting enough sleep lately? LIZ -- (sighs) Alright, let me slow down a little. AMY -- Good idea. LIZ -- See, I discovered that if human DNA was cooled down to near absolute zero, something amazing happens. AMY -- Yes. The molecules stop vibrating. LIZ -- Well, yes, the molecules stop vibrating. But it's the vibrations that have been covering up an interesting feature in human DNA. AMY -- Uh huh. LIZ -- It's kind of like holding your hand behind the blades of a whirling fan. (demonstrates) When you try to touch it, the blades of the fan keep you from coming close. AMY -- I see. LIZ -- I discovered that cooling the DNA specimen to near zero degrees is like turning off the fan. You can get to parts of the DNA that noone ever knew existed before. AMY -- Oh, really. LIZ -- Really. Now do you see the nobel prize on the horizon? AMY -- Could be. What part of the DNA did you discover and what does it have to do with theology? LIZ -- As near as I can tell, what I discovered was SPIRITUAL DNA. AMY -- Spiritual DNA? LIZ -- Incredible, isn't it?! AMY -- Actually, yes it is. What makes you think it's spiritual DNA? LIZ -- Because I found the hidden DNA only on chromosomes number 8 and 9. AMY -- In terms that a bug collector can understand... LIZ -- Oh, yes, of course. I looked it up and human chromosomes number 8 and 9 have to do with human behavior. AMY -- And that means... LIZ -- (points to printouts) Well, look here. The chromosome on the left is my own DNA BEFORE I accepted Jesus as my personal savior. And the chromosome on the right is DNA from the same cells AFTER I accepted Jesus as my savior. Do you see a difference? AMY -- (squinting) Yes. Yes, it looks like there are several new genes in the second specimen that weren't there before. (straightens) Professor Johnson, I know enough about genetics to know that a person's DNA doesn't change significantly over his lifetime. LIZ -- Bingo. That's how we know that (proudly) this HAS to be SPIRITUAL DNA. AMY -- Well.... LIZ -- Can you imagine how I'm going to rock the theological world with my discovery?! AMY -- And what theological conclusion did you draw from this discovery? LIZ -- Well, I would think it would be patently obvious by now. AMY -- Not to me. LIZ -- Well, since the first century, theologians have been debating whether a person does good works in order to be saved or if works are the result of salvation. You can see here (points) that according to my spiritual DNA, I did not have a change in my behavior genes until AFTER I was saved. AMY -- Oh, that. LIZ -- What do you mean "Oh that"!? This is a momentus theological discovery! AMY -- Well, it might be a momentus GENETIC discovery. But I wouldn't plan on a ticker tape parade from theologians. LIZ -- What do you mean? AMY -- I mean that only the non-Christian cults believe that works come BEFORE salvation. And that's because they ignore the clear scriptures that exclude good works as a requirement for salvation. LIZ -- Scriptures? What scriptures? AMY -- Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy". LIZ -- Oh. AMY -- And 1st John 2:29 "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him." LIZ -- Oh, yeah. (perks up) Hey! AMY -- What? LIZ -- "Born of him", you said "born of him"! AMY -- Yes. So? LIZ -- So, I may not get a ticker tape parade from theologians, but (points to printouts) I still have my discovery of (proudly) SPIRITUAL DNA. And I definitely think I'm in line for a Nobel Prize. AMY -- I'm not so sure. LIZ -- What do you mean? AMY -- Look at the names on these printouts. LIZ -- (point) "Elizabeth Johnson". That's my name. It's my DNA. AMY -- And the name here (points) on the other picture... is that your nickname? LIZ -- "Fruit bat". (grabs pictures, exiting) Not a word about this to anybody! AMY -- (exiting opposite) My lips are sealed, Professor BAT. ©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 |