Gospel

---

Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute Me?
......Who are You, Lord?
[Acts 22:7-8)
**************************
"I gotta' go throw up, Lord."

[PATIENT NOD.]

(Saul crawls over to a ditch
on the side of the road.
He's slow going, with the
blindness caused by the
lightening and all, but he
finally makes it. Lenteh,
his closest and most badgered
servant, runs over. He and
the others have been sitting in some
shade, watching their boss
groveling about in the dirt.)

"Hey, boss? You OKAY?
Just stay there, boss;
I'll bring you over some water!
(long minute passes)
Here 'ya go, boss!"

(Saul gratefully feels the cool jug
being carefully placed in his
trembling hands. He takes a
few precious sips. He nods,
and almost drops the jug, as he
hands it back to his puzzled
servant. Then he turns around,
to begin the slow crawl back
to his kneeling spot, before
the Lord.)

"Hey, boss?"

"What is it, Lenteh?"
(Saul stops for moment,
to wipe the back of one
shaky hand against his
dirty mouth. His robe,
the one made by his
sister-in-law's cousin
Netchil the robe-maker
in northern Jerusalem, once
so pristine despite its ill-fit,
has now seen better days.)

"What's going ON, boss?
You don't look too good."

"Don't ask, Lenteh."

"Okay, boss!"

"You don't wanna' know."

"Sure thing, boss!"

"I'll tell 'ya, later."

"Yeah. Sure, boss!"

"That is, if I'm still alive."

"Whatever 'ya say, boss!"

"Lenteh?"

"Yeah, boss?"

"I gotta' throw up, again."

"I was expecting that, boss!
(silence)
I got the jug waitin' here,
for 'ya, boss!"

(Saul quickly turns back, to
crawl unceremoniously toward
the ditch. Feeling his way, rather
haphazardly, Saul is no longer
concerned with his
perfected Pharisee pride.
He upchucks before exactly making
it to the now familiar ditch.
Lenteh discretely places the
much now esteemed jug into
Saul's clammy hands.)

"Thanks, Lenteh.
(Sip, sip, sip.)
I owe you a raise."

"No worries, boss!
I've been there, too!"

"Not exactly, Lenteh."

(Lenteh, ever the attentive
servant, sets the jug down
to grab his own robe, and
wipe some of the dripping
sweat from his master's
dusty brow.)
"What d'ya MEAN, boss?"

"Never mind, Lenteh.
Like I said, I'll tell 'ya
about it, later."

"Sure thing, boss!"

(Saul nods wearily, and
hitching up his now filthy robe,
turns, once more, to craw
back to his kneeling spot.)

"Eh....don't you worry
about a thing, boss!
I'll be waitin' here,
with the jug!"

(Saul manages to lift the
fingers of one dirt encrusted
hand to acknowledge Lenteh's
thoughtful dutifulness of
a prized employee.
Then, he continues
toward the Bright spot in
the Damascus road.....and toward
his new destination.)
*********************************
And I said,
What shall I do, Lord?
And the Lord said to me,
Rise, and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told
all that is appointed for you
to do.
[Acts 22:10]

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE