Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: COURT (02/24/22)
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TITLE: Throwing Stones— a Monologue | Previous Challenge Entry
By Laurie Kiel
03/03/22 -
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“I could have died of embarrassment.” I’ve said that and thought that and wrote that a million times when my faults were laid to bare in the court of public opinion. What faults caused such embarrassment? Making a stupid mistake, saying a thoughtless word, having my work critiqued harshly in front of my coworkers. The list is endless, as are the faults.
But there was a woman who could have died, perhaps should have died, not of embarrassment, but of stoning when her faults were laid bare by the Pharisees.
I wonder what it would have been like to be that woman lying there, in the kangaroo court of the Pharisees, the bait in the trap laid for Jesus.
WOMAN PUTS ON A BIBLICAL HEADDRESS
How could I have been such a fool? That’s what I kept asking myself when the Pharisees rushed in, and Jezrun rushed out. I thought he loved me but he was only using me.
I had little time to wonder where they were taking me but I knew wherever it was, I didn’t want to be there. I could tell by the whispers of the crowd at the temple that it must be Jesus who was teaching. I had never seen him before but had wanted to, but not like this.
“This woman was caught in the very act of adultery.” The Pharisees solemnly and righteously intoned. “Moses says she must be stoned. What do you say?”
Stoned. Of course. I had been expecting it ever they carried me off. But why ask Jesus?
I could hear whispers in the crowd.
“If he says stone her, then we know he’s a hypocrite. He preaches mercy but he doesn’t practice it when it counts.”
Someone else whispered, “But if he doesn’t say “stone her he’s going against the law of Moses!”
I almost felt sorry for Jesus but to be honest, there was too much terror in my heart for there to be any room for sympathy for someone else’s hard choice. I lay there, face in the floor, my hair hiding my fear and shame. I braced myself for the stones I knew would be coming.
My heart was beating so loudly they could all surely hear it. But I wasn’t sure they would even recognize the sound of a beating heart since they obviously had none.
“Let him who is without sin throw the first stone” said a voice that had to be Jesus’.
After silence that seemed to take forever, I heard footsteps walking away, footsteps after footsteps, after footsteps.
I felt a hand reach down to pull me up. I stood up and looked into the kindest eyes I had ever seen.
“Where are your accusers? Did none of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” I told him my voice still dripping with shame.
“Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’
My chains of shame gone, I ran into a new life. “Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.” Only one person could have thrown a stone that day, and instead he threw me a rope of hope, pulling me into a new life of freedom.
WOMAN REMOVES HEADDRESS
Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.
Back and forth
Back and forth
We throw the stones of shame
I throw stones at you
And you at me
In this tennis court of blame
So why is it
In the game of tennis
The score of zero is love?
Jesus’ answer sets you free
He says “Listen now to me”
In your hearts My love belongs
Love keeps no score
Of wrongs
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Well done
Blessings