Lenten Series
The Seven Deadly Sins 



The Problem of Evil

A Contemporary Adaptation of C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters
By Members of Grace Lutheran Church, Des Moines, WA
David E. Cox, David Head, Darlene Malmo, Edward F. Markquart, Jauanita Minton

Chancel Dramas for Lent
The Problem of Evil
The First Deadly Sin:  SLOTH
The Second Deadly Sin:  ENVY
The Third Deadly Sin:  ANGER
The Fourth Deadly Sin:  LUST
The Fifth Deadly Sin:  GLUTTONY
The Sixth Deadly Sin:  PRIDE
The Seventh Deadly Sin:  AVARICE

PREFACE
For several years, we at Grace Lutheran Church have experimented with and used a variety of preaching-teaching forms that differ from conventional pulpit sermons.  Perhaps the most enjoyable and effective of these has been the chancel drama in which members of the congregation have joined in the creation and presentation of mini-dramas.  The Lenten season has been a particularly workable setting in which to undertake these efforts.

We have used puppet shows, monologues, dialogues, news conferences and dramas. We have found that these different forms have had overwhelmingly positive responses.  That is, the dramatization and characterization of well-known Biblical stories, themes and personalities have brought new life into old “friends.” This has been particularly effective with young people, new members and those who have become a bit stale in their faith.  Second, the involvement of congregational members in research, creation and presentation has been significant for them personally and also has been an extraordinary witness to other members of the congregation.  Third, there has been a sense of excitement and anticipation in the congregation that has shown itself in standing-room-only attendance at the Lenten worship services. Finally, for me as pastor, I have discovered that the layman’s theological thought and reflection can be both challenging and enlarging.  I cannot get by with “pat answers” for I am then beaten about the head and shoulders by those who are involved with the production of the plays.

Pastor Edward F. Markquart
Grace Lutheran Church
Des Moines, WA

PRODUCTION NOTES

Characters
It is essential that each character is played by the same person throughout the series, thereby personality-identities develop.  The following are notes on the individual characters:

Good Angel:  The Good Angel should have dignity, bearing, compassion and strength. In the original cast, the role of the Good Angel was played by a woman, and the Bad Angel by a man.  As a result, the dialogue between them occasionally reflects that sexual difference.  Should a male be chosen for the part of the Good Angel, some modifications of script would be necessary.  In the scripts, G.A. will stand for the parts of the good angel.

Bad Angel:  The Satanic figure needs to have a degree of menace.  As conceived in these scripts, he is haughty, sarcastic, calculating and without respect for humans or God.  Periodically he gives way to bursts of temper. In the scripts, B.A. will stand for the parts of the bad angel.

Fred: This is the good and decent person who for the most part looks for, finds and supports that which is good, godly and just.  Like all Christians, he is given to human weakness and occasionally falls short of both God’s and his own expectations.  But there is never any doubt about his roots and orientation.

Elmer:  This is a difficult role.  The person chosen for this role must be able to play the part with abandon.  He must be a caricature of all the seven elements of sin, since his part demands that he show the dark side of humanity, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly.

Jane:  Versatility is a requirement for this part, because she plays a multiplicity of roles.  A more experienced actress is needed.  She needs to be able to win sympathy and identification from the audience.  She has an innate sense of justice, kindness and faith that is subjected to the daily challenges of life.

Stage Directions
During this series of plays, there were two planes of existence: the human and the divine.  The divine characters can see, hear, understand, observe and react to what is occurring on stage among the humans.  The humans, on the other hand, are totally oblivious to the divine conversations.  Any time that the Good Angel (Gabriel) and the Bad Angel (Satan) are in dialog with each other, the three human characters are not aware of the divine conversation.

During the action on stage between humans, the Bad Angel will make a sudden loud noise (clap his hands, strike the pulpit), and the humans will freeze in place.  Time and movement stop and then a separate dialogue will begin involving the Bad Angel.  At the end of their dialogue, Satan again makes a loud noise and action on stage continues between the humans.

In each play, there will be a “divine dusting”.  At a crucial moment, Fred will come near the ever-present Good Angel and she puts “angel dust” (glitter) on him. The dusting effect is heightened by an accompanying bell sound from the organ.  This indicates that the power of God is working on him and Fred’s next speech reflects the Wisdom of God (the Word of God) directed at the specific human situation.  This Wisdom is in the form of plain and ordinary human conversation.

These chancel dramas will be played out in a variety of physical settings.  Your imagination will be required in fitting the play to the environment, but with the exception of the “Gluttony” script, the settings are sparse and uncomplicated.  At Grace Lutheran Church, we worked around a setting that included a communion rail, a large cross, a pulpit and a large table.  The play within a play – that involving Fred, Jane and Elmer – took place almost exclusively within the boundaries established by the communion rail.  The Good Angel was at all times positioned within the “holy of holies”, standing on a foot-high stool or on a ladder appropriately draped with white fabric, near but above the action of the humans.  She is constantly watching and reacting to them.  The Bad Angel was always restricted to prowling and posturing outside the communion rail.  He too, is watching and responding to the human dilemma.  In the “Gluttony” script, there was a requirement for a restaurant/bar setting and the pulpit was removed to make way for one of the tables. Within your setting, you may be blessed with more open and flexible space and therefore be able to employ a more theatrical set.  Our space was limited but provided no production problems.

The Influence of C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis’s SCREWTAPE LETTERS inspired this series of chancel dramas.  In the LETTERS, we listen in on Screw tape’s conversation with Wormwood, his agent.  Through the LETTERS, we are exposed to Screw tape’s thoughts and motivations.  Likewise, in this series of dramas, the audience hears the conversations between Satan and Gabriel and watches their influences on Fred, Elmer and Jane.

The thought and phrasing of C. S. Lewis are interlaced throughout the plays.  We utilized his humor, e.g., Satan “going out for lunch” exuding, “I’ll be damned!”  We borrowed Lewis’s concept of “patient” Jane on whom both Fred and Elmer are working.  We use his apologetics from SURPRISED BY JOY: a Design to the universe logically presupposes a designer; a moral design presupposes a moral designer.  But most importantly, we retained his concept of Satan being a lesser power than God.  In the preface to SCREWTAPE, Lewis indicates that if we place Satan in face-to-face combat with God, we imply Satan has power equal with God’s.  This is not true.  Satan is not equal to God; rather he is simply a fallen angel, equivalent in stature to Gabriel or any of the other archangels.  Consequently, in these chancel dramas, God is never in direct combat with Satan.  It is a battle between two lesser powers:  Satan and Gabriel.

In these chancel dramas, the most troublesome character was Elmer.  At some point Elmer works almost as a direct agent of Satan.  During a “freeze” Satan will call him over for further consultation.  At the end of the “freeze” Elmer then enters back into the action with Jane and Fred.  At such times, Elmer doesn’t seem to be fully conscious that he is working as an agent of the devil, but he is. Elmer becomes the personification of temptation to draw another person (Jane, the patient in the middle) into doing evil. 

The First Play in the Cycle of The Seven Deadly Sins

The Problem of Evil

AN INTRODUCTION  

G.A.:
(Making a stately, flowing entrance) I am an angel. I am a messenger of God. You remember me.  I’ve been in all of your coloring books in Sunday school.  I have been present at the unfolding of God’s will throughout history.  I stood guard at the gates of the Garden of Eden.  I brought messages to Abraham and Moses, to the kings and prophets of the Old Testament.  And I appeared before Mary and Joseph and shepherds during the birth of Jesus.  In fact, when Jesus was in the wilderness, I ministered to him. I brought messages to the Apostles Paul and Philip. And sometimes we angels bring messages to you.  I was created in God, through God, and for God.  I am an angel.

B.A.:
(Making a purposeful, dramatic entrance) I am an angel.  I also appear throughout your history. I was in the Garden of Eden and I too was in the wilderness.  I am still present in people’s lives, influencing their imaginations and affecting their actions.  I was also created by God, but we had a “falling out” and I am no longer the slave of Heaven.  I am the ruler of hell.  I am called Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, I am the Prince of Darkness.

G.A.:
I hear you over there, Satan, prowling around like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour.

B.A.:
We all have our hungers, Madam, but you do not do justice to my style.  I do not need to roar much any more, for there are so many who so easily find that my little offerings, my little appetites, provide spice to their otherwise drab and dreary lives.  Indeed, there are many that doubt that I even exist.  A case in point is that classroom over there.  The learned professor is a current acquaintance of mine and he is planting seeds of doubt about my – our – existences in that lovely lady’s mind.  When he succeeds, as he surely will, my lunch will be prepared and I need not roar anymore.  Shall we watch?

G.A.:
Yes, let us watch for there is one of us with her.

Elmer:
(The Professor) Class, to summarize my lecture this evening, I have five specific points I would like to have you note.  The first point is this: It is illogical to assume that there are other forces such as Satan in the world.  On the other hand, it is logical to assume that there is nothing except that which can be seen.  The second point: God as a concept or figure within human consciousness is more a product of wishful thinking and a reflection of pagan escapism.  The third point: the concept of demons and angels is for the realm of fantasy, not reality.  Point four:  the concept of good -relating to light, and evil -relating to darkness, are not more than our irrational fears of childhood rather than an absolute cosmic force involved in our lives.  The fifth and last point: it would be better for us to be honest with ourselves and go through life as realists rather than dreamers  (Pauses and looks at watch) I do see that our time is up, so we’ll continue this discussion at another time.  Class is dismissed.  (Begins to leave)

Jane:
(Raising hand wildly) Professor, could you wait just a minute?  I am really confused by this lecture today.  Could you tell me just a little more?  Could I have some of your time?

Elmer:
My dear, I really do have another appointment.  I think that you, being a college student should be able to use your mind and your intellect.  You struggle with these problems for a while.  Perhaps you can come up with some answers.  Good day.  (Professor exits and goes to stand near Satan)

Jane:
Oh boy!  (To self)  And I need this philosophy credit.  Why did I sign up for this turkey for a professor? (Turning to Fred)  Got a minute, Fred?

Fred:
I sure do, Jane.  What is it?

Jane:
I don’t know.  I’ve never taken Philosophy before, so I’m really confused.  I’m not sure that I understood what he said.

Fred:
Well, what do you think you just heard him say?

Jane:
One thing especially bothered me.  I think he said there really is no God and no Satan either.  I’ve spent my whole life believing that God has been present with me, directing leading, comforting, and strengthening me and that there has been another power, an evil power, pulling me away from God.  Is that childish?

Fred:
That’s what I heard him saying - the belief in God is childish, a fantasy, and so is a belief in the power of evil. I think that basically the Professor is a materialist. Philosophically, the only thing he believes in is that which he can see, touch and feel.

Jane:
I see.  But there’s something else.  If he believes that faith in God is childish, irrational, stupid, perhaps my friends have similar thoughts about Christianity.  So some of them think the same way?  How can I share my faith with them if that is what they are thinking?  Oh, boy?  What do I believe!

(Audible dialogue on center stage ceases.  The dialogue between the Professor and Satan takes place at stage left.)

B.A.:
Well done, Elmer. You have planted well – seeds of doubt, questions, uncertainty, and skepticism.  Your spices are excellent.  I so enjoy planting seed of doubt.  I want her to question everything, and besides, I don’t like that guy with her.

(Good Angel dusts Fred who is standing near her.  A new insight slowly dawns on him.)

Fred:
You know, Jane.  I just got an idea.  Remember those stories in the Bible?  Especially the creation story?

Jane:
Yes?

Fred:
There was the devil, Satan.  Remember?  Satan was a serpent.  In the Bible, it said that the devil is a liar.  He is a deceiver.  His number one deception is to get us to believe that he doesn’t exist, that there is no power of evil at work in this world.  Well, that’s what the Professor is trying to do.  He’s trying to get you to believe that the power of evil doesn’t exist.  It is all a great deception by Satan.  Satan is once again trying to play his tricks on us, so it seems to me.

Jane:
What you say sounds convincing.  But, Fred, this lecture makes me see that a lot of what we believe seems like fantasy and fairy tale.  Who’s going to believe in a devil with a black cape and angels in white robes?  But, you know, I have believed in those two powers, the powers of good and evil.  Is it an illusion?

Fred:
An illusion? Jane, look around you.  Look at the wars and starvation.  Look at the barbaric things people do to each other.  Is that an illusion?  If anybody is living under an illusion, it’s our fair professor who doesn’t look around and see this cosmic evil force at work in the world.  He’s the one who is living under an illusion.  At least it seems so to me.

Jane:
You’re right...there is evil in the world.  That fact cannot be denied.  And there is a power of good, too.  How could I let him encourage my doubts like that?  I feel so guilty for even having these doubts.

Fred:
Doubts, doubts.  Jane, we all have them.  God gave us minds to use.  It’s only animals that don’t doubt.  God gave you an exceptionally fine brain and God wants you to use it.  It’s inevitable that we would have doubts.  That’s what it is to be a human being.  It’s nothing to feel guilty about, that’s for sure.

Jane:
But I've been a follower of Jesus my whole life.  How could I be   so stupid to fall into this trap?

Fred:
That’s not stupid?  It’s not a matter of intelligence or lack of it to believe in God.  There are very intelligent people who believe in God and very intelligent people who don’t.  It’s a matter of faith.  Faith, Jane.  It’s a matter of our deepest intuitions of the heart toward God.

(Professor Elmer re-enters to center stage.  Bad Angel returns, remaining at left side.)

Jane:
Oh, there is the Professor now.  (Jumps up, going to Professor)  Professor, have you got a minute?

Elmer:
Yes, my dear.

Jane:
If I understand you correctly, you think that the idea of good and evil is a fantasy.  Is that right?

Elmer:
That’s correct.

Jane:
But, Professor, how do you explain that?  There really is evil in the world.  There is injustice.  There is awful violence, hatred, crime, abuse and starvation.

(Action is interrupted by loud sound.  Characters of Jane and Fred freeze.  Bad Angel, wearing a big, red dinner napkin tucked in at the neck, comes closer to center stage to talk to Elmer.)

B.A.
What are you doing in there?  Here I am ready to eat and you’re letting the chicken out of the pot.  She’s coming right at you.  She’s confronting you and you know that we do not do well when that happens.  Now get out of there!

(Sudden loud sound to restart the action.  Bad Angel goes to side in a huff.  Elmer again turns to Jane.)

Elmer:
The only struggles that I really think you’re having are with your mind and your misguided emotions.  But I really feel you need...

(Fred comes between Professor and Jane)

Fred:
Professor.  Professor.

Elmer:
I have an appointment for lunch…

Fred:
Professor, please.  You said it was a matter of logic, but it seems your unwillingness to recognize the existence of evil is a result of your own blindness and therefore, is illogical.

Elmer:
Illogical?

Fred:
I submit that there is a design to the universe.  If there is   a design, logic concludes there must be a designer.  A design logically presupposes a designer.

Elmer:
Blind Prejudice!

Fred: 
You were the one who lectured about the sociologist, Margaret Mead, and she said that was a moral design found in all the cultures of the world.  If there is a moral design, there must be a moral designer!

(Sudden noise again freezing Fred and Jane.  Satan returns in a rage)

B.A.
Now you’ve done it. (Pause)  We’re going to have to go out to eat!  (Jerks napkin from neck)  There are a lot of others out there for us.  And for her, for him (pointing) there will be another time.  For us, for now we’re going to have to get the “hell” out of here!

(Loud noise restarts action.  Bad Angel storms toward the door, pausing for Elmer’s remarks)

Elmer:
(To Fred) I think you’re wrong.  You MUST be wrong.  You have your own problems, and I don’t have time to discuss this.  I don’t have to justify my lecture to you.  I must leave.  (Exits)

Jane:
Strange, how come he got so uncomfortable when we brought these things up and then he seemed to run away?

Fred:
You know, Jane, it seems to me that a person can’t prove God and we can’t disprove God either.  We can’t prove the power of evil. We can’t disprove it.  We can discuss and argue all day but it’s all a matter of faith.  God gets inside your heart. And when he does, you start to believe.  Maybe when we draw near to God and God to us, doubt and disbelief run away.  That’s what happens. Got time for a cup of coffee?

Jane:
Yes I do.  I’d like to talk about this some more.  (Both exit)

G.A.:
(From her lofty stand) Satan, did you enjoy your lunch?  (Laughs at Satan)

B.A.:
(Throws red napkin toward Good Angel and exits) 

Back to Dramas

Jane:
(Working at an office-like setting) Let’s see where was I now?  Ah, yes, the invoices.  (Sneezes, coughs) So much to get done here.  (Works inconspicuously during Angel’s dialogue)

G.A.:
(Enters and takes her place on the stool) I am the angel of the Lord. I was created for God’s work and God’s use.  I am God’s messenger. Often, the message I carry is a call to action,   “Arise, go, do!”  God’s words are very plain.  God wants you believers to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.  (Pause) Oh look, here comes Elmer – late from lunch again.  And look behind him.  Satan again.  He doesn’t know love or truth, justice or beauty, caring or compassion.  He corrupts and destroys all that he touches.  Unfortunately and sadly, he is influencing Elmer.  Let’s listen to the thoughts.

(Elmer enters, Bad Angel just behind.  They pause near the rail, Elmer studies office setting and thinks out loud)

Elmer:
Oh-oh.  Two o’clock.  Lunch got a little long today.  Jane will be back there working away, being noble. She bothers me.  What a goody-two shoes.  She gives the rest of us a bad name.  I’d sure like to catch her taking the petty cash or snuggling up to the boss or something.  I’d like to bring her down a few pegs

B.A.:
And you can, Elmer.  Don’t worry about the big obvious sins.  As difficult as it may be for you, try something more subtle.  Promote sloth – it’s something you know a lot about

Elmer:
She wears you out at work – maybe I can distract her a little bit – get her productivity in line with good old Elmer standards.

B.A.:
Good thinking, Elmer.  But don’t you have another problem?

Elmer:
She comes off like some saint.  She’s always involved in some causes like the hungry and the homeless or teaching Sunday school or just being a help to somebody.  She’s one of those Christian do-gooders.  She makes me want to lie down and have a nap.

B.A.:
So she acts on what she believes?   So destroy the will to do and act.  Show her that her efforts are pitiful and puny, that the problems she faces are insurmountable.  Blind her to the obvious needs close at hand an all around her.  Make hers a faith without works and she will become no better than you and you won’t have to fret.  Now go.

Jane:
(Counting and writing) Six of these...

Elmer:
Hi there. How’re you doing?

Jane:
Well, welcome back from lunch.  (Checks watch)   I was beginning to think you had disappeared from the face of the earth.

Elmer:
Yes, well, I was slightly detained.  I had a devil of a time getting away.  (Back to work.)

Jane:
I see.  Let’s get with it here.

Elmer:
I think you’d be quite interested in what I was thinking about during lunch.

Jane:
Actually, what I’m quite interested in is getting this work done.  You know?  The stuff we were hired by this company to do?  What we’re here for, eight hours a day.  Here, check these invoices, will you?  (Gives him a stack)

Elmer:
You know, I really think what we talked about at lunch would interest you a great deal with all your church and social activities and community involvement and these things.  (He thumbs through the stack and while Jane is pre-occupied with her files, he slips most of them back in her stack during the next few lines)

Jane:
(Continuing to work) What are you talking about?

Elmer:
My conversation during lunch.

Jane:
Can’t it wait?  (Sneeze, cough)  You know we have to get this report out before the end of the day.  Let’s talk bout it tomorrow.  Okay?

Elmer:
That fine with me, but I thought someone with your, ah, (sarcastically) ‘social consciousness’ would be more interested in the world’s problems than you seem to be.

Jane:
Well, of course I am interested.  (Puts down pen and papers) Elmer, would you just say it and get it over with.  What is it?

Elmer:
I was thinking at lunch that humans waste a lot of time, hustling around, so busily scurrying about.  They fret about so many problems in this world about which they really can’t do anything.  (Through the next few lines, Elmer is playing with a video game, eating candy, tossing a coin, drinking water, pacing around, etc.)

Jane:
(Thoughtfully) I don’t know.  I never thought of it as a waste of time.

Elmer:
Oh, it is Jane. Come on. You, me, our presence in this world is really nothing.  We’re insignificant.  Think about it!  You’ve read the papers.  You’ve seen the newscasts.  War, hunger, pestilence.  Millions of people in this world seem to suffer from those calamities.  The statistics...

Jane:
True, true.

Elmer:
The statistics make me sick. It’s terrible.  I think the problem is that nobody in all the history of the world has been able to solve these massive problems. You’re a Christian.  What do your Scriptures say?  “There’s nothing new under the sun,” including starvation.

Jane:
Well, yes, in a way.  That’s true.

Elmer:
Think about it.  None of us, even you Christians, can solve the problems of the world. And why should we? In the long run, it really doesn’t matter.

Jane:
(Working) Sounds pretty pessimistic.

Elmer:
No, wait a second.  I’ve got an example for you.  You’re involved in the world hunger program at your church, aren’t you?  (Still playing)

Jane:
Yes, I am.

Elmer:
That makes you feel good, doesn’t it?

Jane:
At least I’m doing something!

Elmer:
I imagined it would make you feel good.  How much do you give?  A couple of dollars a week probably?

Jane:
It doesn’t matter.

Elmer:
Think about it.  Your money probably feeds two or three meals to some little starving urchin.

Jane:
Urchin?

Elmer:
That’s really fine.  You keep that little one alive for about an extra week.  Then there are millions of others who starve.  That poor fellow you’ve kept alive is probably retarded from lack of nutrition.  It’s a waste of your time and money.  Why should he be kept alive?  It’s a waste to society.  It just adds to the problem.  Admit it.  Everything you do amounts to nothing.  What do you think about that?

Jane:
Elmer, that is sick!  I’ve always felt it was worth something.  So would it be better to do nothing?

(Fred enters, looking for Jane)

Fred:
Jane?  Jane?

Jane:
Hi Fred, over here.

Fred:
I’ve been looking all over for you.

Jane: 
Come into our office.  (She looks down to continue work.  Fred walks past G.A. and gets dusted with her sprinkles).

Fred:
Your office is hard to find.

Jane:
How are you doing, Fred?

Fred:
Well.  Really well.

Jane:
Elmer, have you met Fred?  Fred works upstairs.

Elmer:
(Comes around from playing and grabs some invoices) I’m sorry.  I would like to chat a minute but I’m really quite busy.  (Acts really busy for a moment)

Jane:
What’s up Fred?

Fred:
I hate to bother you during work, but our friend, Sarah, is sick.  She’s at the hospital.  I was there last night when her laboratory tests came back and it’s bad news.  She’s afraid.  I was hoping that you would go to see her.  She mentioned you.  She said,  “I appreciate Jane’s friendship.”  Do you have time to go to see her?

Jane:
Well.  (Delaying)  I’m sorry to hear that.  I really am a little short of time.  You know I work here for a long shift and I’ve got my family at home.  Time is a problem.

Fred:
Yes, I know.  We’re all busy.  Perhaps if you could call her every day and see her every other day, you could help her with some of her fears.  I know she would appreciate it.

Jane:
Every day?  That’s quite a commitment and I don’t know if I have that much time.  (Elmer starts playing around again)

Fred:
I know that we’re all short of time, but right now she is so discouraged.  She is so depressed.

Jane:
Sarah discouraged and depressed?  She is always in a crisis.  For her those are chronic conditions.

Fred:
Yes. That’s true. If anybody is a complainer, it’s Sarah.  She complains to you.  She complains to me.  If anybody has problems, it’s Sarah.  But even so, she wants us to see her, to visit her.

Jane:
But, Fred?  You say she’s really sick this time.  If that’s so, I feel inadequate to visit her.  I can’t do anything to make her feel better or to get her well.  I can’t change her attitude or her condition.  Listen, I’m just not the person.  If I can’t do it right, I don’t want to do it at all.

Fred:
Then none of us can visit or call because none of us do it perfectly.  But we can all give the gift of listening.  That’s one of the kindest deeds we can do for someone in trouble.  Sarah does need us, I guarantee...

Jane:
Okay... I’ll squeeze the time in to see her.

B.A.:
(Freezes action with loud sound) Elmer!  You’re supposed to be pushing sloth, not practicing it!  This fellow is getting to her.  She is beginning to listen, and you’re just sitting there twiddling your thumbs.  You get back in there and start cooking.  Throw some names at her.  Call her a do-gooder, a bleeding heart liberal.

Elmer:
This isn’t working.

B.A.
Then tell her that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and she had better take care of number one.  Let the others take care of themselves.  You persuade her that in this world, she is flying solo and nobody else cares.

Elmer:
Got to do something.

B.A.
One other thing.  Faith without works is dead, dry.  And remember, dead faith, thinly sliced, smothered in a sauce of sloth is one fine dish!

(Loud noise.  Action commences.  B.A. leaves)

Elmer:
Fred, Jane.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I have been listening to your conversation.  I understand your concern for your friend, Jane, but you shouldn’t be visiting in any hospital right now.

Jane:
(Coughs) Oh?  Why not?

Elmer:
You have a cold.

Jane:
Oh, well, you...

Elmer:
It has affected your performance here at work.  Our paper work has really gone down with you being sick.

Fred:
Jane, I think he’s right.  If you have a cold, it’s not a time to visit someone in the hospital.  I’ll go and visit her today.  You go home, take some Vitamin C, drink some orange juice, and maybe in a couple of days you could go and see her.

Jane:
I could still call her, even with a cold.

Fred;
Yes, that’s a good idea.

Elmer:
But I’ve noticed something else, Jane.  You’ve really been tired lately.  You’ve been depressed.  (Jane looks up, puzzled)  You go around and help everybody else in the world, but I’ve never seen you take care of yourself.  Really.  I think that you need to start looking out for your own interests.  You don’t do that enough.

Fred:
I would agree that Jane should be tired after all the work she does in this office.  It seems that someone else isn’t doing their part!  Even so, when you go and visit someone, help someone like Sarah, it makes you feel better.  It invigorates you!  It builds you up.

Jane:
That’s true in my experience, I must admit.  When I’ve helped someone, it gives me new energy.

Fred:
No doubt about it.  A person can feel so much better.

Elmer:
(Sarcastically) Oh, you feel so much better.  What a line!  You have a bleeding heart dripping all over your sleeve.  “You feel so much better.”  That’s nice for your emotions but does it help her at all?  I think not.  (To Jane)  You have to look out for yourself and forget the rest of the world.  Why don’t you leave this Freddie friend of yours alone?  He’s really a pain.

Fred:
Elmer?

Elmer:
Yes, Fred?

Fred:
(Pause)  Do you ever help anyone?

Elmer:
(Pause)  I don’t have time to.  I’m a very busy man.  (Exits in a huff)

Fred:
Boy, some work associate you have here.

Jane:
Yes.

Fred:
Well, listen, I’ve got to get back to work.  Just remember that Sarah needs us.

Jane:
I’ll see what I can do.  Nice to see you, Fred.

Fred:
Good to see you too.  Bye.  (Fred exits)

Jane:
(to herself) Oh boy!  I don’t know what to do.  (Elmer enters)

Elmer:
The nerve of that guy!  Coming in here and telling you what to do, and then he insults the integrity of my work.  Who does he think is?  Why should you have to go visit this hypochondriac anyway?

Jane:
She may really be sick this time.  It sounds as though she is.  Even if she isn’t, one way or the other, I know she’s alone and afraid.  She just may need some comfort from somebody who cares about her.

Elmer:
Truly my heart is touched.  But why do you have to be Fred’s angel of mercy?

Jane: 
I wouldn’t do it for Fred, I’d do it for Sarah. And maybe, hmmm, Maybe (looking away) I’d be doing it because Jesus said so.

Elmer:
Oh, the bells of heaven!  I just heard them!  You and your Christian holiness.  It’s just a crock!  I tell you, I don’t see why she is your responsibility.  You never take care of yourself and if you keep on going like this, you’re going to do yourself in soon.

Jane:
We’re all going to die, Elmer.  And you can either give your life some meaning or not.  It’s up to you.  (Pause)  I guess you just don’t understand, do you?

Elmer:
I never understand frivolousness on anybody’s part.  (checks watch)  Oh, excuse me, I just noticed its five minutes to quitting time.  I want to beat the traffic going home.  See you tomorrow.  Bye. (exits)

Jane:
He just doesn’t get it.  (Thoughtfully)  Of course, there is some truth to what he says.  Sarah is a pain at times.  Visiting or calling her every day could be a real drag.  (Pause)  Still, she does need someone - someone who cares.  And I do care.  (Stuffs papers into a mailer and exits)

G.A.:   
Lord, the sin of sloth is so pervasive in this world.  It’s a sin that thinks one person can’t make a difference; says, “it’s hopeless, what can I do?”  It quits too soon, cares too little, gives up too easily and sometimes doesn’t even get involved.  Lord, what message would you have me bring?  (Pause) I hear you, Lord.  Arise!  Go!  Do!  (G.A. exits)

Back to Dramas

The Second Deadly Sin: Envy

Scene:
Modern living room:  sofa, chair, end table and lamp.  

Costumes:
Fred, tie loosened, no jacket, sleeves rolled up.
Elmer, suit and tie.
Jane, dressed as a teen-ager

Props:
Books and hair brush for Jane. Newspaper for Fred, on table.

Special Notes:
Bad Angel appears only at the beginning

Jane needs the gestures and nuances that are popular with the young people. Her voice, when she is emotional, needs to reflect the typical teen-age attitude.

As the scene opens, Fred takes his place at center stage, reading the newspaper.

G.A.:
(Enters down center aisle)

I am an angel, a messenger of God and an observer of the world.  God created a paradise for those He loved, a Garden of Eden in which all that people needed was available to them.  But Satan, that fallen angel, came into the Garden and tempted them with that which was not theirs to have.  The seeds of envy were sown.  God’s creatures disobeyed, coveting that which could not be given or guaranteed to them.

B.A.:
(Entering from the back.  Begins his talk as he nears the front)

My, my!  You sound frustrated tonight.

G.A.:
Lucifer, it’s you again.

B.A.:
Things aren’t going well for you, apparently.  Don’t despair.  It’s not your fault that your God created humans who are defective--so gullible, short-sighted, and selfish.  I am trying to correct the situation.  I think it only proper to offer men and women a menu of things that they might like to have, indeed, what should be theirs — if only the world that your God created were a fairer place.

G.A.:
You distort and pervert everything.  You offer nothing of value and nothing that lasts.  You create false wants and false appetites.  Your so-called menu is built on envy that is poisonous to the soul.

B.A.:
You might recall that the name of the game is the soul!  Frankly, your God appears to have made another mistake.  If God were so concerned about Envy, God should have created everyone as equals, dividing among the people all the looks, wit, intelligence, success and wealth in the world.  But, no, not in God’s world!  There are all sorts of losers out there and you can’t blame them for wanting their fair share.

G.A.:
You suggest a world of sameness.  How utterly boring!  Equality is important only in the permanent gifts of God, love and grace.  There are no losers on that score in God’s creation.

B.A.:
There you go up on your pedestal again, talking about the ‘forever’s’, while people are buried in their ‘today’s’.  With mortals, envy is here to stay.  I find it a very useful and efficient temptation.  I just plant it and it grows by itself.  (Gestures to the stage)  Here, look at this family.  I have created a poem for the occasion.

I have planted seeds of envy here,
And so I’m free to go.
You may want to wait awhile,
And watch my garden grow.

(B.A. exits with loud laughter)

Jane:
(Entering from side with schoolbooks.  She shows great anger in her stride and attitude)  Aaaaaargh! (Plops books down on table.)

Fred:
Jane!  Jane, what is wrong with you?

Jane:
(Sarcastically)  What’s wrong?  Ha!  What’s right?  Everything’s wrong.  The school is just grody!  The students make me gag!  Barf! (Finger mockingly put down throat)

Fred:
Jane!

Jane:
And the faculty!  The faculty sucks rotten eggs.

Fred:
Sucks rotten eggs? That sounds terrible.  My daughter doesn’t talk that way.  You’re just too nice a young lady to use that language!

Jane:
Oh?  If I’m such a nice young lady, why didn’t I get the Outstanding Student Award that Gail Jones got?  (Turns her back, crossing her arms and disgusted)

Fred:
Who?  Gail Jones won?  Well, you were at least nominated.  You were one of the finalists.  You should be pleased that you were a part of the competition.  It’s an honor even to be nominated.  What are you so sour about?

Jane:
Some honor  (Turns back to Fred)  Look, Dad, I never seem to win anything.  I don’t do anything right!  I’m just not lucky.  Now, Gail Jones, she’s lucky!  She’s got beautiful clothes (gesturing to her body) and she looks great in them.  She gets good grades, has a (smiling with a phony grin) nice personality.  She has everything I don’t have!

Fred:
You know, Jane?  I’ve never heard you sound so jealous.

Jane:
(Ignoring him)  I can’t stand to go to school tomorrow.  Everybody will be there to make a big fuss over Gail Jones.   La-de-da!  Hot stuff!  (Crosses stage as she starts fussing with her hair)  I’m not going to school.

Fred: 
You are too.  I’m ashamed of the way you’re talking.  Now pick up your book.  You sound like a little brat!

Jane:
Sure!  Why don’t you get on my case too!  Everybody else is.  Join the group.

Fred:
Oh, Jane, you know I love you.  (Moving toward her, dusted by angel – change of heart)

Jane:
(Starting to break down a bit) I feel put down and embarrassed and I just...

Fred:
Oh, Jane, Jane...(Hugs her)

Jane:
(Crying) I don’t feel very good about it, Dad.  I thought I could be the best.

Fred:
You are the best!  You’re the best daughter your Mom and I have.

Jane:
(Hand on hips) I’m your only daughter!

Fred: 
You’re a wonderful gift to us from God.  We love you sooooo much.

Jane:
But why didn’t I win the award?

Fred: 
Why did you need to win?  For some reason you need to be better than Gail.  You need to be better than all the other kids.  You need to be the best!  That's a miserable way to live, Jane, always having to be number one.  It's a bad disease.  I know.  My mother had it, I have it, and now you’ve inherited it!  It’s a bad way to live.

Jane:
Oh, Dad.  Stop lecturing.

Fred:
I am not lecturing.  I’m just telling you the truth.  You’ll be miserable.  You’ll always be scrambling to get ahead of somebody, always comparing yourself, always sizing you