SIDE 1

(During the following, the story is acted out in an imaginative theatrical way with different actors, playing the roles.)

SAMARITAN NARRATOR

A man was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell in among robbers who beat him, stripped him, and left, leaving him half-dead. It so happened that a priest came upon him, but when he saw him he went past on the other side. So, too, a judge came to the place and saw him and went past on the other side. But, a Samaritan who was making the journey came upon him, and when he saw him, was moved to pity. He went up and bandaged his wounds, bathing them in oil and wine. Then he put him onto his own beast, brought him to an inn, and looked after him there. The next day he produced two pieces of silver and gave them to the innkeeper and said, _x001c_ Look after him, and if you spend any more, I will repay you on my way back._x001d_

(Those who acted out the story bow.)

JESUS

Now  you have learned that they were told, _x001c_ Love your neighbor, hate your enemy._x001d_ But what I tell you is this...

(During the above, two CAST MEMBERS have begun fighting over a prop from _x001c_ The Good Samaritan Show._x001d_ Their argument becomes intrusive enough to interrupt JESUS. The others start to take sides so that soon all are fighting. JESUS has to shout to be heard above the noise.)

Love, love, love, love your enemies.

(All freeze in place.)

And pray for your persecutors.

CAST MEMBER

(indicating the person he or she has been fighting with)
You don t mean...?

JESUS

I do! Only so can you be called Children of your Heavenly Father.

(The CAST begins _x001c_ making up_x001d_ with their enemies in a general love-fest that gradually gets noisier in an ostentatious display of how much they _x001c_ love_x001d_ one another. As this is occurring, JESUS tries to continue his lesson.)

If you greet only those who greet you, what reward can you expect? And if you love only those who love you, what is there extraordinary in that? No, your goodness must know no bounds, just as your Heavenly Father s goodness knows no limit.

(By now, the _x001c_ love-fest_x001d_ has become so noisy, JESUS must get their attention by making a large noise with a prop or set piece. All fall silent and turn to look at him.)

SIDE 2

FIRST NARRATOR

(the following story is enacted by the others)
Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons, and the younger said to his father: _x001c_ Father, give me my share of the property._x001d_ So, he divided his estate between them. A few days later, the younger son turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living. He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon the country, and he began to feel the pinch. (Ouch!) So he decided to attach himself to one of the local landowners...

(The SON attaches himself with a sucking sound to the LANDOWNER.)

...Who sent him on the farm to mind the swine.

LANDOWNER

(ordering the SON)
Swine!

SON

Swine?

PIGS

Pigs!

FIRST NARRATOR

He would have been glad to have filled his belly with the pods that the pigs were eating...

(The SON gets down to try to eat with the PIGS, but they shoo him off.)

PIGS

Oink, oink, buster!

FIRST NARRATOR

...But no one gave him anything. Then he came to his senses (BOING!) and said: _x001c_ How many of my father s paid servants have more food than they can eat, and here I am starving to death? I will set off and I will go to my father and I will say to him:  Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants. _x001d_ So he set out for his father s house, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart went out to him. (Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub) The son ran to meet his father, threw his arms around him, and kissed him, saying: _x001c_ Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants._x001d_ But the father called to one of his servants: _x001c_ Quick, fetch me my robe, my best one. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and kill it. And let us have a feast to celebrate the day, for this son of mine was lost and is found._x001d_ And the festivities began!

(All begin enacting festivities. The ELDER SON joins the action as a SECOND NARRATOR takes over the dialogue.)

SECOND NARRATOR

Now, the elder son was out on the farm, working. (Whew!) And on his way back, as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called to one of the servants and asked him what it meant. The servant said: _x001c_ Uh, uh, uh, your nephew  nope, nope, nope, your cousin  nope, nope, your brother, yup, your brother s come back home again and your father s killed the fatted calf  cause he has him back safe and sound, yup, yup, yup!_x001d_ But the brother was...

(The ELDER SON enacts being boiling mad. The SECOND NARRATOR watches him, searching for the right word to describe what he sees.)

...irritated.

ELDER SON

Oh, c mon!

SECOND NARRATOR

He was pretty darned mad! And refused to go in the house. The father came out and pleaded with him but he retorted, saying:

(The ELDER SON elaborately acts out the speech, illustrating virtually every word.)
_x001c_ You know how I ve worked for you all these years and I never once disobeyed your orders and you never gave me so much as a kid for a feast with my friends. But! Once this son of yours turns up, after running through your money with his women, you kill the fatted calf for him!_x001d_

(After the ELDER SON s excitement, he strides away grandly, hopefully accompanied by audience applause. The FATHER, acts out the next section.)

_x001c_ My boy,_x001d_ said the father, _x001c_ You are always with me and everything I have is yours. Now, how could we help but celebrate this happy day, for your brother here was dead and has come back to life_x001d_ - metaphorically speaking - _x001c_ was lost and is found._x001d_

(As pantomime continues, the FATHER attempts to reconcile the two SONS. The ELDER BROTHER is extremely unwilling. Twice he is brought to his BROTHER, and twice he can t help but visit some sort of comic pantomime violence upon him. Finally JESUS steps in to urge the reconciliation also.)

ELDER BROTHER

No, I don t wanna. Please don t make me, Jesus... Oh, all right!

(And the SONS make up and embrace as all cheer. JESUS begins a high energy transition, chanting in rhythm. The beat is that of _x001c_ Light of the World,_x001d_ and eventually the music will enter in the same tempo in which JESUS starts it.)