Gospel

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Paul is in prison. His cousin,
Mechel, who lives in Jerusalem,
has come to visit him.
Mechel is very squeamish, and also
terrified of anybody wearing
a Roman soldier outfit. If truth
were to be told, Mechel is
actually terrified of a mouse's
shadow......let alone, his own.
_______________________
Therefore, a prisoner
for the Lord,
beg you to lead a life
worthy of the calling
to which you have been called,
with all the lowliness
and meekness,
with patience......in love...
[Ephesians 4:1-2]
****************************
"SAUL? What are you DOING
here?"

(patient silence)
"I'm writing a book about
Roman prisons, Mechel.
I decided this was the
only way, I could truly
speak with any authority."

"Very funny.
Here; Bertha sent you a
bunch a' baked bread
and cakes. Sorry, there's
only 1 left. I had to bribe
the guards, out there."

"It's the thought that counts,
Mechel. So....HOW'S Bertha?"
(Paul takes the proffered cake,
and munches appreciatively.
Bertha is a good baker.)

"With child, again...?"

"What does this make it:
numer SEVEN?"

"Uh, uh. You were imprisoned
the last time, also: this is
the eighth."

"Wonderful! Mozel tov!
Good blessings to both of you!"

"So, eh.....Saul? What's goin'
on, with you, these days?"

"Nothin' much; I told you,
Mechel; I'm doing a lot of
writing."

"Yeah, yeah. So, I see.
But.........eh, must it be done in
CHAINS? Please, Saulichlah!
The tent-making was a bit of a
stretch from your old, academic
life. But, THIS.....this is
quite something ELSE!
Come back to our family.....
and, to your SENSES!"

(Paul shakes his dirty, quite
lengthy hair. He wouldn't mind
the lice, if they didn't itch so
much. Mechel eyes his cousin's
head, rather squeamishly, and
backs up, a bit. Paul smiles.)
"So be it, Mechel. It is for
the Lord."

"WHO'S Lord, Saul?
Why must you be so STUBBORN?
And, where is SPARTICUS: I thought
he was supposed to be keeping
you company? Does HE have lice,
also?"

"Yeah, sure! Who do ya think
I gott'em, from? Neah, he's
out in the courtyard, right now,
doing some exercises. His
commander thought he was gettin'
a bit too outta' shape, what with
sittin' around all day; I'm told
he's usually standing guard at
the palace."

"Oh, I see. That's a good
commander; we should all be
so vigilant over our fellow
employees."

(Paul nods. Cake crumbs fall
into his scraggly beard. A little
mouse, one of the friendler ones,
sits next to Paul, hoping for the
wayward crumb to drop even further.
Mechel sees it, and stamps his
big foot at the little gray ball
of fur. The warm, furry
creature only backs up
a couple inches [though, for a
tiny Roman mouse, this is quite
a journey].)

"HEY! Don't do THAT, Mechel!
He's a good FRIEND! I've named
him, Bop. I think it fits him."

(Mechel cocks his curly, and
much cleaner head, peering very
closely at his bedraggled cousin.)
"Perhaps, Sparticus could be
bribed to let YOU out into the
courtyard, more regularly,
Saul! I think you're starting to
lose it, in this place! I'll ask
Bertha to bake a whole bunch
more of her cakes......"

"Wouldn't work, Mechel.
I TOLD you: Sparticus's
commander has him on a
strict regimen: regular
exercise, and a rigorous
diet."

"Ech, I almost feel sorry
for the poor guy! Too BAD.
Well? SO? How 're we
gonna' get you outta'
here, Saul.....and, into a
good BATH?"

(Paul leans over, dragging
his heavy chain, to drop the
tiny cake crumb onto the
hard, stone floor. Bop,
with one teeny eye on his
new adversary, Mechel,
gingerly makes his way over
to the delicious looking crumb.)

(Mechel laughs.)
"Perhaps, I should snag your
little friend, and bring him
over to OUR house! Bertha's
kitchen would be a sumptuous
heaven for him!"

(Paul shakes his head, once
more. This time, a lice is
flicked onto the waiting beard.
The lice settles in, very nicely.)
"'Wouldn't work, Mechel:
not with that brood a' cats that
Bertha keeps around your house.
Bop would definitely see his end."

"Speaking of ends, Saul, have
you thought of YOURS?
What are we'gonna do with YOU,
Saulichkah? Do 'ya have any
idea, what's goin' on, HERE?"

"Yes, Mech'ie. But, I DO.
The question is.......do YOU?"

(Mechel frowns, and squints
unappreciatively at his poor,
dilapidated cousin, who is
obviously in the wane of his
previously, upper crusted life.)
"I don't know WHAT you are
talking about, Saulichkah.
Are ya talkin' about this
new LORD of yours? He
obviously hasn't bestowed
many blessings upon you,
my cousin. First, you go
blind for several days, and
then, you disappear - only
God knows WHERE........and,
now these imprisonments.....
which seem to be getting
sort of a HOBBY with you!"

(Paul laughs, in spite of the
itchy rash under his bearded
chin. To his way of thinking,
the lice will surely be the end
of him, long before the Romans
ever will....)
"Yes, yes! I KNOW, Mechel!
But, YOU are the one who is
still imprisoned: by your own
SIN! The Lord is waiting for
you to acknowledge His Sacrifice!"

(Mechel looks down at the cold,
stoney floor. Bop, long having
enjoyed the tiny morsels of Bertha's
cooking, has disappeared somewhere,
under the stench filled straw.
He shakes his head again, and
sighs deeply.)
"I don't know, my cousin.
I only see YOU doing the
sacrificing....and, for WHAT:
a dead CRIMINAL? A NOBODY,
from that NAZARETH town?
Who WAS this Man, ANYHOW?
He was a Magician, and a
TROUBLEMAKER! Twenty years
from now, NO ONE will have
HEARD of Him! And, where
will YOU be, Saul? Answer
me THAT!"

(Paul's eyes fill with tears,
out of great sadness for
his younger cousin.)
"I know where I will be,
Mechel. I will be with
my Lord Christ Jesus."
*****************************
There is one body
and one Spirit,
just as you were called
to the one hope
that belongs to your call,
one Lord, one faith,
one bapatism,
one God and Father
of us all,
Who is about all.......
[Ephesians 4:4-6]

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