Symbol And Reality
Drama
Thespian Theology
Lent/Easter
Thespian Theological Thoughts
My wife, bless her heart, is gonna love this one. Her favorite fight is with those who insist that baptism saves us. As with much of the Christian life, it's a matter of perspective: Baptism is important, but it's just a symbol of what's really important.
Several years ago, I attended the baptism of a fiftyish new Christian, who happened to be an inmate at our county jail. The priest who officiated at this event said something I'll never forget: "If this baptism is not rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it's nothing more than black magic."
Cast
Narrator
Sybil Symbolist
Billy BornAgain
Voice of Jesus (offstage)
Props/Costumes
Sybil -- dead potted plant
Billy -- huge cross on a chain
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Symbols are often important in our lives. They can help us to understand deep and wondrous truths. But sometimes we get in trouble, when we start to confuse symbols with reality.
(Sybil Symbolist enters stage right, carrying a dead potted plant. She is distraught)
Narrator: Take our friend Sybil Symbolist here.
Sybil: Oh, woe is me, woe is me, woe is me!
Narrator: Woe is you?
Sybil: Woe is me!
Narrator: Woe is wrong with you, Sybil?
Sybil: Not funny ... not funny at all. Look at my poor pitiful petunias. They died!
Narrator: Well, that's certainly a shame, Sybil. But why are you so upset?
Sybil: My boyfriend gave these petunias to me. He calls me his pretty petunia, and he said these flowers were a symbol of our love. And now they're dead! Oh, woe, woe, woe is me! (Drops the pot and buries her face in her hands, sobbing)
Narrator: Now, now, Sybil. It's not that bad. You can buy another pot of pretty petunias.
Sybil: Oh, no, I can't! My boyfriend gave me these petunias, and these petunias are the symbol of our love ... and now I've killed them with too much fertilizer. Oh, woe is me! (Exits stage left)
Narrator: Too much fertilizer, indeed! That may be a symbol of something, too. But I'm not going there!
(Billy BornAgain enters stage right, wearing a huge cross on a chain around his neck)
Narrator: Well, what have we here?
Billy: You have Billy BornAgain, you fortunate fellow!
Narrator: What's with the gigantic jewelry, Billy?
Billy: This cross around my neck is a symbol of my Christian faith. I wear it proudly, to show the world that I am a Christian! On April 17th, 1996, at 8:47 p.m., I asked Jesus into my heart. (Starts to bend over from the weight of his cross)
Narrator: That's nice, Billy. But let me ask you a question: Does wearing that big heavy thing around your neck make you a Christian?
Billy: It most certainly does! I was given this cross at the Brother Sammy Salvation Crusade when I gave my heart to Jesus -- and it has been around my neck ever since. (Rubs the back of his neck) And I wouldn't think of taking it off. This cross is who I am! (Exits stage left, rubbing neck)
Narrator: I just can't resist the temptation to point it out: Who he is, is a pain-in-the-neck! (Pauses) So what's up with all these symbols, anyway?
(Sybil and Billy enter stage left)
Sybil: I'll tell you what's up, bubba! Symbols are an important part of my life, and you just better take me seriously.
Billy: Yeah! And stop making fun of us, okay?
Narrator: I'm sorry, folks. I didn't really mean to make fun of you. But I do have a question for both of you, since you seem to take your symbols seriously.
Sybil: Well, that's better.
Billy: Yeah. So what's your question?
Narrator: Are you both baptized?
Sybil/Billy: Of course!
Narrator: Do you believe that your baptism saved you?
Sybil: Of course!
Billy: Says so in 1 Peter 3, verse 21 ... so there!
Narrator: Well, I want to tell you a story. Over 100 years ago, a boy was born in a small town in Austria. His name was Adolf Schicklgruber. Adolf was baptized in the church, and as he grew up, he became a choir boy, and he even thought of one day becoming a priest. Later, however, he changed his mind and followed a somewhat different life path. Now, was this man saved by his baptism?
Sybil/Billy: Of course!
Narrator: Would it change your answer if I told you that the world knew this man as Adolf Hitler?
Sybil/Billy: Ooops!
Narrator: So, would you agree that your baptism is not what saved you?
Billy: Well, yeah. My decision, on April 17th, 1996, at 8:47 p.m. is what saved me!
Voice of Jesus: (Offstage) Wrong!
Billy: Huh? Who dat?
Voice of Jesus: Billy, my precious child: My death on the cross and my resurrection from the dead are what saved you. You had nothing to do with it, friend!
Billy: Whoa, is that really you, Lord?
Voice of Jesus: Yes, it is. And I have something important to say to you both about symbols, okay?
Sybil/Billy: We're listening, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: If you'll take a closer look at my friend Peter's letter, you'll see that he refers to baptism "not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Billy: "An appeal to God for a good conscience." What does that mean?
Voice of Jesus: Another way of putting it is "a pledge to God from a good conscience," Billy. The point is that you are saved by my death and resurrection, and baptism is a symbol of your identification with me.
Billy: Oh, like wearing my cross to identify me as a Christian, huh?
Voice of Jesus: Not really. You identify with me when you die to sin and rise to new life in me. That's the reality of it. The symbol is baptism: you are not saved by the symbol, but by the reality which your baptism symbolizes. You can get into trouble if you confuse symbol and reality. Isn't that so, Sybil?
Sybil: Huh?
Voice of Jesus: Sybil, when your pot of pretty petunias died, did your boyfriend's love for you die?
Sybil: Hmmmm. As a matter of fact it didn't, praise God!
Voice of Jesus: So. A pity party over perished petunias was a waste of energy, right, Sybil?
Sybil: Right, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: So, what have you learned from this, my friends?
Sybil: I've learned to focus on reality, not the symbols.
Billy: (Takes off his big cross) I've learned that wearing a symbol of my faith doesn't necessarily make me faithful.
Sybil/Billy: (Point to the sky) And we've both learned to keep our eyes on the prize!
My wife, bless her heart, is gonna love this one. Her favorite fight is with those who insist that baptism saves us. As with much of the Christian life, it's a matter of perspective: Baptism is important, but it's just a symbol of what's really important.
Several years ago, I attended the baptism of a fiftyish new Christian, who happened to be an inmate at our county jail. The priest who officiated at this event said something I'll never forget: "If this baptism is not rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it's nothing more than black magic."
Cast
Narrator
Sybil Symbolist
Billy BornAgain
Voice of Jesus (offstage)
Props/Costumes
Sybil -- dead potted plant
Billy -- huge cross on a chain
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Symbols are often important in our lives. They can help us to understand deep and wondrous truths. But sometimes we get in trouble, when we start to confuse symbols with reality.
(Sybil Symbolist enters stage right, carrying a dead potted plant. She is distraught)
Narrator: Take our friend Sybil Symbolist here.
Sybil: Oh, woe is me, woe is me, woe is me!
Narrator: Woe is you?
Sybil: Woe is me!
Narrator: Woe is wrong with you, Sybil?
Sybil: Not funny ... not funny at all. Look at my poor pitiful petunias. They died!
Narrator: Well, that's certainly a shame, Sybil. But why are you so upset?
Sybil: My boyfriend gave these petunias to me. He calls me his pretty petunia, and he said these flowers were a symbol of our love. And now they're dead! Oh, woe, woe, woe is me! (Drops the pot and buries her face in her hands, sobbing)
Narrator: Now, now, Sybil. It's not that bad. You can buy another pot of pretty petunias.
Sybil: Oh, no, I can't! My boyfriend gave me these petunias, and these petunias are the symbol of our love ... and now I've killed them with too much fertilizer. Oh, woe is me! (Exits stage left)
Narrator: Too much fertilizer, indeed! That may be a symbol of something, too. But I'm not going there!
(Billy BornAgain enters stage right, wearing a huge cross on a chain around his neck)
Narrator: Well, what have we here?
Billy: You have Billy BornAgain, you fortunate fellow!
Narrator: What's with the gigantic jewelry, Billy?
Billy: This cross around my neck is a symbol of my Christian faith. I wear it proudly, to show the world that I am a Christian! On April 17th, 1996, at 8:47 p.m., I asked Jesus into my heart. (Starts to bend over from the weight of his cross)
Narrator: That's nice, Billy. But let me ask you a question: Does wearing that big heavy thing around your neck make you a Christian?
Billy: It most certainly does! I was given this cross at the Brother Sammy Salvation Crusade when I gave my heart to Jesus -- and it has been around my neck ever since. (Rubs the back of his neck) And I wouldn't think of taking it off. This cross is who I am! (Exits stage left, rubbing neck)
Narrator: I just can't resist the temptation to point it out: Who he is, is a pain-in-the-neck! (Pauses) So what's up with all these symbols, anyway?
(Sybil and Billy enter stage left)
Sybil: I'll tell you what's up, bubba! Symbols are an important part of my life, and you just better take me seriously.
Billy: Yeah! And stop making fun of us, okay?
Narrator: I'm sorry, folks. I didn't really mean to make fun of you. But I do have a question for both of you, since you seem to take your symbols seriously.
Sybil: Well, that's better.
Billy: Yeah. So what's your question?
Narrator: Are you both baptized?
Sybil/Billy: Of course!
Narrator: Do you believe that your baptism saved you?
Sybil: Of course!
Billy: Says so in 1 Peter 3, verse 21 ... so there!
Narrator: Well, I want to tell you a story. Over 100 years ago, a boy was born in a small town in Austria. His name was Adolf Schicklgruber. Adolf was baptized in the church, and as he grew up, he became a choir boy, and he even thought of one day becoming a priest. Later, however, he changed his mind and followed a somewhat different life path. Now, was this man saved by his baptism?
Sybil/Billy: Of course!
Narrator: Would it change your answer if I told you that the world knew this man as Adolf Hitler?
Sybil/Billy: Ooops!
Narrator: So, would you agree that your baptism is not what saved you?
Billy: Well, yeah. My decision, on April 17th, 1996, at 8:47 p.m. is what saved me!
Voice of Jesus: (Offstage) Wrong!
Billy: Huh? Who dat?
Voice of Jesus: Billy, my precious child: My death on the cross and my resurrection from the dead are what saved you. You had nothing to do with it, friend!
Billy: Whoa, is that really you, Lord?
Voice of Jesus: Yes, it is. And I have something important to say to you both about symbols, okay?
Sybil/Billy: We're listening, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: If you'll take a closer look at my friend Peter's letter, you'll see that he refers to baptism "not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Billy: "An appeal to God for a good conscience." What does that mean?
Voice of Jesus: Another way of putting it is "a pledge to God from a good conscience," Billy. The point is that you are saved by my death and resurrection, and baptism is a symbol of your identification with me.
Billy: Oh, like wearing my cross to identify me as a Christian, huh?
Voice of Jesus: Not really. You identify with me when you die to sin and rise to new life in me. That's the reality of it. The symbol is baptism: you are not saved by the symbol, but by the reality which your baptism symbolizes. You can get into trouble if you confuse symbol and reality. Isn't that so, Sybil?
Sybil: Huh?
Voice of Jesus: Sybil, when your pot of pretty petunias died, did your boyfriend's love for you die?
Sybil: Hmmmm. As a matter of fact it didn't, praise God!
Voice of Jesus: So. A pity party over perished petunias was a waste of energy, right, Sybil?
Sybil: Right, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: So, what have you learned from this, my friends?
Sybil: I've learned to focus on reality, not the symbols.
Billy: (Takes off his big cross) I've learned that wearing a symbol of my faith doesn't necessarily make me faithful.
Sybil/Billy: (Point to the sky) And we've both learned to keep our eyes on the prize!
