Testimonies

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How is it
that You,
being a Jew,
ask a drink from me,
a Samaritan woman?
For Jews have no
dealings
with Samaritans.
[John 4:9]
*************************
"Lord....can I talk to
JESUS?"
(Squint, up, at the
corner of ceiling.)
"Where IS HE?"

[SMILE!]
"Right Here,
My child."

"Well....okay.
Listen.....um...."

[SMILE!]
"Yes, My
child?"

(Cranky glance,
up to ceiling.)
"WAIT!
Don't RUSH me!"

[SMILING.]
[NODDING.]

"Uh.....um......."
(Sip some root beer.)

[CHUCKLING.]

"Hmmm......listen,
We have to talk!"

[SMILING.]
"Go on,
My beloved."

"Well.....my friend
and I were talking
about The ALAMO,
yesterday.....and....."

[SMILE!]
"Ah. Yes,
child!
The Alamo?"

"Yeah....well....."
(Sip root beer,
again.)
"I was telling her
about my complaint,
about that Samaritan
story, and....."

"And, what Story
was that, child?"

(Cranky look up at the
ceiling plaster.)
"Don't they have BIBLES
up there, LORD? I mean,
JESUS?"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]

"WHY do I have to read
EVERYTHING, to You....
and the FATHER?"
(Ornery glance up at
ceiling spots.)
(Shake head in consternation.)
"Can't He let You have
any BIBLES.....up THERE?"

[CHUCKLING!]

"And, You ought to get
the NIV version; I like
the New King James; but,
that's only cuz, their print
is usually bigger."

[CHUCKLING.]
"I understand,
My child.
Go on."

(Kvetchy look up at the
ceiling plaster.)
"Well.....anyhow....I forget
what I was saying......"
(Thoughtful squint.)
"Oh, yeah.
The ALAMO."

[PATIENT SIGH.]

"See, my FRIEND was
sayin', how she could sort
of empathize with me....
regarding my feelings about
the Samaritan story, about
the 10 lepers, and all.
And, all those other stories,
about how the Jews hated
those Samaritan guys."

[SMILING.]
"Tell Me,
beloved."

"Well.......because, she
has some ancestors in her
family, who were from Mexico."

[GLANCE TO HIS LEFT;
THE FATHER, ON THE THRONE
BESIDE HIM, IS WIPING
TEARS OF LAUGHTER,
FROM HIS EYES.]
[GLANCE BACK.]
[NOD.]
"Yes, My beloved.
Go on."

"Well...."
(Squint, hopefully, up at
ceiling.)
(Wave hands, about.)
"And.....Ya gotta FOLLOW
this, Lord! I mean,
JESUS!"

[NODDING PATIENTLY.]
[GLANCE TO THE LEFT,
AGAIN.]

"See....I was discussing
with her, about my feelings
about the New Testament,
and all..being so anti-semitic..."

"What was that,
My precious?"
[LOOK TO HIS LEFT, AGAIN.]
[THE FATHER HAS HIS HEAD
IN HIS HANDS. THE FATHER IS
MURMURING SOMETHING IN YIDDISH.]

"The New TESTAMENT!
THE NEW TESTAMENT!
IT'S SO ANTI-SEMITIC,
LORD! I MEAN, JESUS!"
(Stop for a moment,
to chomp on some hot piece
of Frosted Covered Cinnamon
Poptart.)
(Sip some root beer.)
(Burp.)

"Ah.
I see."
[NODDING.]
[SMILING.]
"And....what did this conversation,
with your
friend...have to do, with
The Alamo?"

"You KNOW,
about THAT,
LORD? I MEAN,
JESUS?"

[NOD.]
[CHUCKLING.]

(Sigh with relief.)
"So....I don't have to DESCRIBE IT,
and ALL."
(Sigh, again, with relief.)
(Chomp on another piece of
frosted covered cinnamon
poptart.)

[SMILING.]
"No,
My beloved.
Go on."

"Well........"
(Chomp. Chomp.)
"It's just that SHE
SAID....how she can empathize
with my feelings....about how
the Jews always look so BAD...
really BAD...in the New Testament....."

"How bad,
My beloved?"

(Impatient squint at the
ceiling plaster.)
"BAD, LORD!
I MEAN,
BAD, JESUS!
REALLY BAD! BAD!"

"Ah.
I get the picture."
[LOOK TO HIS LEFT,
ONCE MORE.]
[SMILE!]
"Go on."

"YEAH!
BAD!
Well......Ya know,
because she feels a little
bit, that way, about the
Alamo. Ya know....since
history books say that only
white settlers were killed
there, by Santa Ana's army
and...."

"White settlers;
who were they,
beloved?"

"Don't You ever
study AMERICAN HISTORY,
LORD? I MEAN, JESUS?"
(Chomp on last piece of
frosted cinnamon poptart.
Contemplate getting another
foil-covered package.)

[SMILING!]
[CHUCKLING!]
"Tell Me,
child."

"Well.....(Impatient sigh.)
a bunch'a people, from
Europe, were settling all
over America, and...well,
had also come to Texas.
Well, at THAT time, it
belonged to MEXICO!
At that time, ALL the
land....up into COLORADO
belonged to MEXICO!
But, as usual, the Americans
were rebellious, and wanted
to have their own state!"

[SOLEMN NOD.]
"Rebellious......
yes, child.
I understand.
Go on."

"YEAH!
SORT'A LIKE,
THAT GOLDEN CALF
INCIDENT, UP AT MOUNT
SINAI! ONLY..... a lot more...
DEMOCRATIC!"

[BURST OF LAUGHTER
FROM THE LEFT SIDE
OF JESUS.]

(Squint up at ceiling fan.)
"What was that NOISE,
I HEARD, LORD?
I MEAN, JESUS?"

"Nothing serious,
My beloved.
Go on."
[CHUCKLING.]

"ANYHOW......The Alamo,
well, it was actually just a
small mission....and for several
days, the several hundred or so
settlers, both of European
and Mexican descent, were
holed up in the small building,
without air conditioning, and
little food... by the big Santa
Ana ARMY! They were BIG,
LORD! I MEAN, JESUS!"

"I see,
child."

"YEAH! And.....they finally
all DIED! I mean, the
American SETTLERS!"
The AMERICAN ones!"

[CURIOUS GAZE.]
"I see.....
So, how did you and your
friend, relate this story,
to the Samaritan Story?"

(Impatient squirm.)
(Sip some root beer.)
"CUZ, LORD!
I MEAN JESUS!"
(Impatient glance, up
at ceiling.)
"My FRIEND is of Hispanic
DESCENT! And....she can
EMPATHIZE with me! Ya
KNOW! ABOUT the SAMARITAN STORIES!
THE ONES, WHERE ALL THE
JEWS LOOK BAD! BAD! BAD!"

[SERIOUS, SOLEMN NODDING.]
[NODDING.]
[THOUGHTFUL PAUSE.]
[MORE NODDING.]

"Except.....HER STORY
is just a little CUPCAKE!"

[SMILING!]
"A cupcake,
child?"

"YEAH!
COMPARED TO MINE!"

"Are you still hungry,
My beloved?"

(Impatient squirm.)
(Impatient shake of the head.)
"No! NO!
What I MEAN IS......
the STORY OF THE ALAMO
is just a teeny tiny SPOT,
on the MAP of HISTORY!
COMPARED TO .....all the
STUFF WRITTEN IN THE
BIBLE! I MEAN,
THE NEW TESTAMENT,
LORD! I MEAN, JESUS!"

[SMILING!]
[CHUCKLING!]
"Yes....I can see your
point, My child.
Still, The Alamo was
quite a momentous event,
in the history of your
country, child......"

(Really impatient squirm.)
"I KNOW, LORD!
I KNOW!
I MEAN, I KNOW, JESUS!"
(Impatiently, get up to
put another poptart in the
toaster.)
"That's not the POINT!"
(Stand, impatiently beside
toaster.)
(Frowning, and fiddling,
with the toaster settings.)
"Don't You SEE?"

[TURN TO HIS LEFT,
ONCE MORE.]
SMILE!]
"See what,
precious."

"THE ALAMO!
THE ALAMO!"
(Ping.)
(Gingerly pick up the one
hot piece of frosted poptart.)
"Don't You SEE, how that
STORY...might make some
American folks of Hispanic
descent, a little UNCOMFORTABLE,
LORD? I MEAN, JESUS?"

[WISE NOD.]
[MORE NODDING.]
"Yes, child.
But, that is their history.
They should be proud...."

(Impatient sigh.)
(Sit down, holding red
plastic plate with hot poptart
in it.)
"YES! YES!
I KNOW!
But.....at LEAST, THEIR
STORY ISN'T SPLASHED
ALL OVER THE PAGES OF
THE BIBLE! OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT!"

[THOUGHTFUL NODDING.]

"FOR ALL ETERNITY TO
SEE! ON EVERY PAGE!"

[NODDING.]

"ABOUT, HOW THE JEWS
HATED EVERYBODY!
AND......HELPED TO KILL
THE CHRIST!"

[NODDING.]

"IT'S EMBARRASSING!"

[NOD.]

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
THESE GUYS! IT'S NOT
FAIR!"

[SOLEMN NOD.]
"And, what about you,
child? Are you proud,
of your history?"

(Grimmace!)
(Shrug.)
"Not REALLY!
Mostly....I'm just EMBARRASSED!"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
"Ah.
Then, perhaps....."

"PERHAPS, WHAT,
LORD? I MEAN, JESUS?"

"That will have be
something,
for Us...to work on."
*************************
Jesus answered
and said to her,
If you knew the
gift of God,
and Who it is
Who says to you,
'Give Me a drink',
you would have
asked Him,
and He would have
given you
living water.
[John 4:10]


__________________
To Henrietta

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