Act 3 (Trinity)

"I want to learn about God. That's why I ask." 

Enter student 3. 'You just want to pick a fight.'

Mostly serious but still skeptical "No, really. What has God done for you? Tell me what He's done in your life." 

'I can't tell you because you don't want to hear it. Your... perspective.... is too limited.'

"Uh, I'm a pretty open-minded person."

'But you wouldn't understand the significance of what I would be trying to tell you. You just want to argue and I'm not going to waste my breath.' 

[[Student 3- feel free to correct this dialogue, because my memory isn't well to-day]]

Student two turns back to student one. "Ok, so anyways, [name]... how do I get to be God?"

What? I don't understand your question. 

"Can I be an angel? How do I get to this?"

Woah, wait. You can't be God or an angel. You're human, that's what you were created to be. 

"Why not? You're like, Jesus or something." Cracks up laughing. 

Horrified. No, no! Don't say that! That's blasphemy! 

"What's blasphemy?"

Pauses. What exactly is blasphemy? It's like, speaking against God or the Holy Spirit. Like if you call someone else God or something, that's blasphemy, because you're saying a human being is on the same level as God, which isn't true. Smirks Far from true. 

Smiles "Ok Jesus." 

Student one rolls eyes and grimaces. 

"So really, God's just teasing us." 

What? 

"He's all great and whatnot and we're just here sinners." 

We're suppose to be Christ-like, not Christ. 

"What does God look like? Does He have a face and hands?" 

I think God can look like whatever He wants to look like. But the Bible says we are made in His image, so yes, I think He probably does have a so-called body. 

"Why would I want to follow someone or something that I don't know or understand?" 

I think a more appropriate question would be why would you serve something you fully understood. Why should you have faith in something that you 100% knew, and you could predict all of its action? That would be like following another human being. Pointless. 

Gap in conversation as the teacher directs the class to play a matching game. Student two is silent. 

Talk continues. 

"It's like I want to believe so bad but I just can't. I'm a logical guy. I need to see things and feel things... I don't know about God. I don't believe, but I don't not-believe either." 

Student 3 'There's no in-between. Either you believe or you don't.'

Can I show you a Bible verse?

"Sure."

Flips through Bible to the book of Revelations, chapter 3, verse 15, and begins reading. I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.... I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 

"I don't understand all of it."

It basically says to not be indifferent towards what you believe. 

"Do you have to tell other people about Jesus? Like, is it required?"

It's called the Great Commission. The Bible says 'go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, spreading the Good News...', something along those lines. But telling others also increases your own faith. Like, I'm glad you're questioning me, because it helps me to strengthen my faith and make sure what I believe is really what I believe, because I have to explain it to someone... does that make sense? 

"Yeah. It does. Thinks and says, not rudely, But just because you tell me about it doesn't mean I believe it or whatever. It's something I have to believe for myself." Said as if discovering something. Light bulb. 

Exactly. But I'm planting a seed that will sprout at an unknown time. It might grow today, or tomorrow, or in eighty years. God makes it grow. 

Bell. 

This is the house that [Pride] built.

This is the house that Pride built. 

This is the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the heart with judgmental eyes,

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the mouth that delights in lies,

That encouraged the heart with judgmental eyes

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the mind that carries despise,

That instructed the mouth to delight in lies

That encouraged the heart with judgmental eyes

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the plague that spread demise,

That corrupted the mind that carries despise,

That instructed the mouth to delight in lies

That encouraged the heart with judgmental eyes

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the kid who was cast aside,

That was stricken by plagues that spread demise,

That corrupted the mind that carries despise

That instructed the mouth to delight in lies

That encouraged the heart with judgmental eyes

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

This is the "Christian" who's hypocrisy tries,

To snub the kid who was cast aside

That was stricken by plagues that spread demise

That corrupted the mind that carries despise

That instructed the mouth to delight in lies

That encouraged the heart with judgmental eyes

That wakened the sin

That lives in the world

That taught the girl

That made the fault

That lay in the house that Pride built. 

Act I, Scene 2, Take [the rest of my life]

Grins mischievously into her face. "I'm not going to believe something just because. How do I know your faith [your God] is for real? I'm going to challenge you."

Good. I probably need it. 

More serious. "That's another reason I don't just say 'oh, I'm a Christian', because so many people do a bunch of [crap] and say it's ok because they're 'Christians.' I'm not like that, I know I sin. But I'm not going to just jump onto the Christian bandwagon. I don't know what I believe. Like I know there's a God, I guess, but I don't know if I'm into it like that."

You're always going to have hypocrites. It doesn't matter if you're Christian or Buddhist or whatever. Just keep that in mind. 

Flashback to the beginning of class. Student 1 already at desk, student 2 slides into the seat next to her, almost late. 

Grins. "Sup yo!"

Ha. Hey Sly. 

"Man, I'm ready to talk about some Jesus today!" Laughs like it's the best joke ever. 

Raises eyebrow. Really. 

Teacher asks students to open workbooks and begin activity ten. 

So what did you do this weekend? 

Sings "Because I'm not the old me, the old me is gone...!"

What?

"Dude, that's like my favorite song. I decided this weekend that I'm a different person." Falls into long tale about skipping school with girlfriend, getting caught, etc. 

And this makes you a different person how? 

Sincere. "Because we skipped and I felt really bad about it; like I hate lying. I don't know, it just felt wrong, so I apologized to her mom and all."

That's good. 

"Yeah. And I decided that me and [girlfriend] aren't going to have sex anymore."

Surprised and caught off-guard. Really? How did this happen? 

Explains almost eagerly. "Well like, she was telling me about how her sister cried on her honeymoon when she got married because her and her husband had done it so much before they were married, it was like it wasn't even special or whatever, and I don't want it to be like that for us if we, you know, end up together...." 

Ah. What does she think of this?

"I haven't talked to her about it yet." Laughs. 

To audience Why is he laughing? To companion And so is this what makes you a different person? 

Incredulous "Uh, yeah?" Starts singing again "It's a brand new me, I'm not who I was...!"

She takes out a sheet of paper and draws a tree. It's a bad drawing (she can't draw) and depicts a thick tree, the ground, and underneath, a few fat roots, on which she writes "Sex", "Lying", "Cheating", and such. 

Shows it to companion. Ok, I'm going to make an analogy of what you just told me. 

"Oh great. Are you going to pull out the Bible?"

Laughs No, it's still sitting under my lunch box. But look, here's the tree, right? Writes "Sly" on the trunk of the tree.

"That's me?"

Yeah. And here are all of your 'roots' that you stand on; everything that you held on to in what you say was your 'old life.' Points to the root labeled "Sex." Get it?

Sighs and looks wary. "Yeah." 

Ok, so I'm going to erase this root. Erases root. Now, you say you've gotten rid of sex. But what about all of the other stuff? Has erasing that one root made you a new tree?... No. You're still the same tree, you just plucked off a symptom of the real problem. 

Stares at picture for several seconds. "You just ruined my favorite song." 

The discussion resumes after some silence, and lunch passes. Finally, it's the end of class. 

"...I don't know if I'm into it like that." 

You're always going to have hypocrites. It doesn't matter if you're Christian or Buddhist or whatever. Just keep that in mind. 

"I can't see it. I can't feel it. I need proof. If He touched me, I might believe more." 

Taps him on shoulder. There. He just touched you. 

He gives her a weird look. 

Grins He lives in me. I just touched you, so.... 

The bell rings. 

"Cut!"