Jesus answered
and said to him,
Most assuredly,
I say to you,
unless one
is born again,
he cannot see
the kingdom
of God.
[John 3:3]
*********************
"It's not FAIR,
Lord!"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
"In that MOVIE!
The part,
in the CEMETARY....
where.....all the SOULS
are crying out,
'Why didn't you TELL ME?'"
[CURIOUS GAZE.]
"Tell them
about what,
My precious?"
(Squirm!)
"About.....
Ya know:
about....."
(Frown!)
"About...
'bout,
JESUS."
[QUIET PAUSE.]
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Ah.
I see."
"YEAH!
It's not ...FAIR!"
[QUIET VOICE.]
"Why
My most precious."
(Squirm.)
(Look away.)
"Well.......
(Fold arms, stubbornly.)
"SUPPOSE,
SOME LITTLE KID GREW
UP, BEING BUDDIST?
And,
HE NEVER HEARD ABOUT
JESUS?"
(Glare up at ceiling.)
"What r'Ya gonna DO,
THEN?
SEND HIM TO HELL,
LORD?"
[SILENCE.]
"YEAH!
What if they grew up,
in a HINDU village?
And.....ALL their RELATIVES,
were....HINDU?
What r'You gonna do, THEN?
SEND 'em all to HELL?"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
[SMILE DOWN AT LITTLE
KID IN INDIA GOING INTO
A HINDU TEMPLE WITH
HIS FATHER.]
"WELL?
WHAT about...all,
THOSE...
GUYS?"
[SILENCE.]
"What about THOSE
guys, LORD?
WHAT are Ya gonna DO?
SEND 'em ALL to HELL?"
[PATIENT SIGH.]
"HUH?
And,
what about....
MY FAMILY?
Both MY PARENTS,
are buried..
in a JEWISH CEMETARY!"
[LOVING GAZE.]
[EYES FILLED WITH TEARS.]
"What r'You gonna do,
'bout, THEM?"
[QUIET VOICE.]
"Who,
My beloved."
(Sudden silence.)
(Long silence.)
(Small voice.)
"My Dad."
[LONG SILENCE.]
"What:
is he in HELL?
Cuz, he was raised
Jewish? With...
Orthodox,
JEWS?"
(Close eyes, in pain.)
"What'd Ya DO,
Lord:
send HIM, to
HELL,
too?"
[SILENCE.]
"While.....
all these MURDERERS,
and,
RAPISTS,
and,
ADULTERERS?
And, BIGAMISTS?
And....
BAD GUYS?
Go to HEAVEN?
Just, cuz,
they BELIEVED in JESUS?"
[SILENCE.]
"While,
my DAD?
A good, kind, LOVING MAN?
A FAITHFUL, KIND,
LOVING FATHER and...
HUSBAND?
A good JEW?
........Who TOOK HIS LITTLE
GIRL TO SHABBAS,
every FRIDAY NIGHT?
You gonna send him to
hell......
TOO?"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
"HUH, LORD?
HUH?"
(Fold arms.)
(Look away,
in tears.)
[LONG SILENCE.]
"Then.....
I don't like You,
too much."
[SORROWFUL GAZE.]
"I don't like
You,
too much."
[LOOK FILLED WITH GRIEF.]
(Yell.)
"Then..GO!
GO AWAY!'
(Jump up, out
of chair.)
(Point up to
the ceiling.)
WHAT ABOUT THOSE SIX
MILLION, LORD?
THE ONES FROM THE
HOLOCAUST?
HUH?
YA SENT THEM ALL
TO HELL,
TOO?"
(Shake plump
fist at the ceiling
fan.)
GEYENSE!
Gey gesundta'hey!
GEYENSE A LA DRERD'AN!
GEYENSE!*"
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Child....."
"GO!
GET AWAY FROM ME!"
(Wave puny hands toward
the window.)
(GENTLE VOICE.]
"I will never leave you,
My child."
"GET AWAY FROM ME!
I DON'T WANT YOU!
GET AWAY FROM ME!"
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Child."
"YOU'RE A REAL PIECE 'A
WORK, YA KNOW THAT?"
(Shake puny fist up
at the ceiling.)
(Spit.)
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
(Wipe tears.)
(Sip some ice tea**.)
[SILENCE.]
"I don't LIKE You!
Get AWAY from ME!"
[TENDERLY WAITING.]
**************************
Their heart
cried out
to the Lord,
O wall
of the daughter
of Zion,
Let tears run down
like a river
day and night;
Give yourself
no relief;
Give your eyes
no rest.
[Lamentations 2:18]
__________________________
*Yiddish.
**The sugary kind:
mixed with extra
packets of Sweet-n-Low.
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