Props: boxes of food, paper, pens

Playing Time: 5 minutes

Scene: The fellowship hall of a church that is in the midst of a food drive for the homeless. As the scene opens, we see Pastor Burgess seated at a table with boxes of food behind him. There is a sign advertising “Food for the Homeless” (or something similar). Bart enters and approaches Pastor Burgess.

Bart: Excuse me, sir?

Pastor: Yes, may I help you?

Bart: Yes sir. A friend told me that I could get some food here. They said this church was givin’ out food baskets to the needy?

Pastor: That’s correct. What’s your name?

Bart: Bart. Bart Holmes.

Pastor: I’m Pastor Ron Burgess—I’m the new pastor here.

Bart: Nice to meet you, Reverend.

Pastor: Please, Pastor Ron will do fine. I just need to fill out this form for our records. We’re working with the county on this project.

Bart: My family—I have a wife and three kids—we are pretty hungry. I lost my job, can’t find work.

Pastor: What kind of work you looking for?

Bart: Anything. I’ll do just about anything. Do you have some work I could do, pastor?

Pastor: (almost to himself) I wish I had more parishioners like you.

Bart: Beg your pardon, pastor?

Pastor: Never mind. It’s just not something a pastor hears often enough. Where do you live, Bart?

Bart: Nowhere right now, pastor. What I mean is that we’re homeless. Couldn’t make our rent. We were evicted. My family and I have a space under the Broad Street Bridge.

Pastor: I’m sorry to hear that, Bart. Look, here is the food basket. I wish it could be more. Under the current program we can only give one basket to each family unit.

Bart: I understand, pastor. There’s a lot of people in need out there. I thank you for you generosity.

Pastor: You take care of yourself, Bart. (pulls out his wallet and gives him some money) Here, take this.

Bart: Thank you, pastor. You’ve been very kind.

(Bart starts toward exit just as Jane enters. He quickly brushes past her turning his head away from her. She recognizes him instantly.)

Jane: Hey! It’s you!

(Bart runs for the door as Jane rushes after him shouting)

Come back here! You thief!

(Bart is gone as Pastor comes running to Jane who is standing in the door shouting after Bart)

Stop him, pastor! He’s getting away!

Pastor: Jane, what’s this about?

Jane: He’s a thief.

Pastor: What are you talking about?

Jane: He was here yesterday. Tried to get a basket then.

Pastor: So you gave him a basket yesterday?

Jane: No! Pastor, he runs a scam. Betty called from the Baptist Church and warned me he was coming. He runs a route! Hits all the churches in town. Takes food and money and uses it for drugs. Once everyone is on to him he moves on to the next town. But he comes by every year.

Pastor: I see. He told me he was homeless, has a wife and three kids—lives under the Broad Street Bridge.

Jane: That’s today. Last year he was asking for money. His car broke down, needed to get it fixed so he could get back to Seattle, where there was supposedly a job waiting for him.

Pastor: Really?!

Jane: I know, you couldn’t have know. You have only been here three months. He was probably watching the church. When he saw me leave for lunch he made his move. He knew that he wouldn’t get anywhere with me. At least it was only food.

Pastor: I gave him 20 bucks.

Jane: Pastor!

Pastor: I believed him.

Jane: There are others now that will miss out because of him.

Pastor: Maybe, Jane. I know it’s not fair. But let’s not beat up on ourselves—or on him—too much.

Jane: I’d like to beat up on him a bit! It’s people like him that make me not want to help anyone. He took advantage of us.

Pastor: So what?

Jane: So what!?

Pastor: Yeah, so what! So what if he took advantage of us? Did we do something wrong? Did we sin somehow by being taken advantage of? We did the best we could under the circumstances, didn’t we.

Jane: But it’s not right that he gets away with—

Pastor: I agree, Jane. It’s not right. But as far as you and I are concerned we did the right thing. We did the best we could.

Jane: Are you saying you are glad that you gave him the 20 bucks?

Pastor: Yes…and no. No, I’m not glad, now that I know about him. But on another level I’m glad that I gave him the money and the food. If I am taken advantage of when doing good for another person—then that’s their problem, not mine. I rather have it on my conscience that I was foolish to give the money and food away than to know that I had an opportunity to help someone with a legitimate need—and didn’t.

Jane: (a long pause as she thinks) You’re a soft touch, Pastor. The bums are going to love you.

Pastor: (a laugh) I’m sure the word is already out on the street. Speaking of bums...I, uh need to go get a bite to eat, myself. Any chance you could spot me a couple a bucks for a burger? I seem to be a little light on cash at the moment.

(they both laugh as we come to…)

The End

Scripture Reading:

Reader 1: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

Reader 2: All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Reader 1: He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Reader 2: Then the King will say to those on his right,

Reader 3: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Reader 1: Then the righteous will answer him,

Reader 4: Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

Reader 2: The King will reply,

Reader 3: I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Reader 1: Then he will say to those on his left,

Reader 3: Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.

Reader 2: They also will answer,

Reader 4: Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?

Reader 1: He will reply,

Reader 3: I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

Reader 2: Then they will go away to eternal punishment,

Reader 1: but the righteous to eternal life.

Discussion Starters:

1) Would your response to Bart be more like Jane’s or more like Pastor Ron’s?

2) When you encounter a person seeking help, like Bart, do you generally believe them or regard them skeptically? Do you help them?

3) How do you think Jesus would have responded to Bart?