Faith

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Now six stone
jars
were standing there,
for the Jewish rites
of purification,
each holding
twenty or thirty
gallons.
[John 2:6]
**************************
"Everybody says You're
so Great, Lord."

[SILENCE.]

"I think You're
Horrible."

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"You do HORRIBLE things,
and You allow ANYTHING."

[TENDER VOICE.]
"Tell Me,
little one."

"Go to HELL!"

[SILENCE.]

(Silence.)

[PATIENT GAZE.]
[TOUCH THE FOREHEAD
OF A DYING MAN,
IN ISRAEL.]

"Everybody says You're
in CONTROL."

[GENTLE NOD.]
"Yes, little one."

"Then, what are You:
SADISTIC?"

[SILENCE.]
[LISTEN TO CHOIR
REHEARSING IN
A SMALL CHRISTIAN
CHURCH, IN CHINA.]

(Look away.)
(Look back.)
"I think You're HORRIBLE."

[PATIENT GAZE.]
[WATCH A BROWN-STRIPED
SQUIRREL SKURRY ACROSS
A LONE COUNTRY ROAD,
IN NORTHERN FRANCE.]

"Ya know: they say
everybody's gonna
get judged one day......"

"Yes, child."

"But, what
about YOU?"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]

"Shouldn't YOU be
JUDGED?"
(Glare up at ceiling.)
"I think You got a
WHOLE lot to ANSWER for!"

[PATIENT VOICE.]
"I am Your Lord,
child."

"Oh, YEAH?"
(Shake puny fists up
at ceiling.)
"Well.......where WERE
You, THEN?"

[LOVING GAZE.]
[LISTEN TO THE
SOUND OF GUNFIRE
IN THE HOLY LAND.]

"Where WERE YOU?"

"Read My Word,
child."

(Snort!)
"What's THAT got
to do with it?"

"It's your life,
My beloved."

(Smirk!)
"MY LIFE?
Oh, YEAH?
Which PART?"

[QUIET VOICE.]
"Where I AM."

(Puzzled squint.)
"I don't UNDERSTAND?
Why do You LOVE these
RIDDLES, so much?"
(Impatient grimmace!)
"Can't You just talk
PLAIN, for once?"

"Read My Word."

(Look away.)
(Frown.)
(Shrug.)
"I think that water-into-wine
part is really STUPID."

[JOYFUL SMILE!]
"Read It to Me,
child."

(Shrug.)
"I don't know where it
is."
(Roll eyes.)
"It's SOMEWHERE."

[SMILE.]
"Yes.
It is."
[NOD.]
"Look."

(Move soda bottle off of Book.)
(Wipe away drops of water.)
(Scratch head.)
(Flip around pages.)
(Murmur.)
"Yeah; here it is:

On the third day
there was a marriage
at Cana in Galilee......
and Jesus was
invited
with
His disciples.
[John 2:1-2]

But, why would
He DO that?
Wouldn't have
that just made a lot
a' people DRUNK?
Why didn't He turn
it into somethin'
healthy: like,
ORANGE JUICE?"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]

(Shrug.)
"I guess it was some
kind a' Miracle."

[SILENCE.]

"But, it's got nothin'
to do with ME!
It was like, a ZILLION
YEARS ago!"

"No,
My beloved.
It is Here.
And, Now."

"TODAY?
Ya mean, with ME?
But....."
(Smirk!)
"MY WATER's got
nothin' but SALT
in it! The SALT
of a thousand
TEARS!"

[NOD.]

"It's like the
Dead SEA!"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"There's NOTHIN'
growin' in it!"

[GAZE.]

"It's DEAD!
It's like.....rock-hard
SALT!"

[LONG PAUSE.]
[QUIET WHISPER.]
"It
could
be mud,
child.
And,
I will
turn it
into wine."
**************************
This,
the first
of His signs,
Jesus did at Cana
in Galilee,
and manifested
His Glory...
[John 2:11]

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