When an eleven year old writes the Easter play....

2013 Puppet Team Easter Play
By E. A. Provost 2



Esther: Hello, and welcome to an Easter play brought to you by Vertical Kids wonderful puppet team. And now, without further ado, let us begin.

E.B.: Our story takes place a long, long, long, long,---

Esther: Time ago!

E.B.: At zero A.D. Jesus was born.

Esther: This isn't Christmas!

E.B.: Oh, right.

Esther: Thirty something years later is where we're supposed to be! Jesus was handed over to the Romans!

E.B.: So, where does the bunny come in? (Gestures to a bunny. )

Esther: I actually don't know. (Both head off stage)

Roman: We will crucify their king.

Jesus: (On the cross.) Ow, ow, ow...

Roman: (Places thorn crown on Jesus' head. Sees bunny.) What's he doing at Jesus' crucifixion?

Jesus: (Shrugs.)

Roman: Get him out (Throws a spear at bunny. Misses.)

Bunny: Wow, they really don't like me. (Bunny leaves.)

Jesus: Are you trying to kill me.

Roman: Um, yeah.

Esther: Then, Jesus died. Then, was buried. But 3 days later Mary and her friend went to his grave.

E.B.: But the tomb was empty. Jesus had woken up. As a zombie!

Esther: No. The tomb was empty and the cloth in which Jesus had been wrapped was neatly folded inside.

E.B.: So, no zombies?

Esther: No!

E.B.: Fine, if you want a boring story.

Esther: Back then, when you folded your napkin you weren't done yet. That's why Jesus folded his wrappings.

E.B.: (Sees bunny.)

Esther: (Also sees it.) Don't even say it. 

Arguing Religion

There are a lot of annoying religious posts and subsequent arguments online and elsewhere.  I am a believer, but I don't see the purpose of arguing about it.  It wasn't a scripture or an argument that convinced me of the reality of God through Christ Jesus.  It was my experience of him.  I would not expect you to be won over by an argument or even the testimony of my experiences, as I am not in any way deterred from my faith by the arguments of others who oppose it.  Jesus disciples went about preaching the good news, and healing all who were sick.  The Bible also says it's the goodness of God that draws people to repentance.  The good news was accompanied by experiences of healing and goodness from God.  Not arguments.  When Paul made his arguments before the Roman leaders he almost convinced them...almost, because an argument just isn't enough.

It is entirely possible that my experiences are a fabrication of my mind, a placebo.  Something I consider highly unlikely, or I would not have embraced them, but still possible.  It is also possible that my experiences are real, but what I call God is an alien life form we have yet to comprehend.  That alien abduction stories and angelic visitations are the same thing from a different mindset.  

It's possible that what we call spirit is an elemental force we are about as able to comprehend as a dog is color.  That the humans who perceive things and beings of a spiritual nature have simply received an evolutionary adaptation that may yet become further developed and more widespread, if we don't lock all these people up in looney bins where they're unlikely to procreate first.

It is not possible from a scientific perspective to prove that God does not exist, anymore than it is possible to prove that aliens do not exist.  We simply have no way of ascertaining what we don't know.  It is an unscientific hypothesis.  That is why it baffles me that most of the scientific community have closed themselves off to the possibility of God.  Efforts to prove the existence of God may presently be pretty pathetic from an educated perspective, but proving his non-existence is impossible.

In any case, I have determined that I lose nothing by my faith.  That faith, in itself without anything that may come after, still adds to my quality of life.  That if God is my imaginary friend, I'm quite content with my delusion.  If my experiences are a combination of coincidence and placebo, then I am fortunate indeed.  That as a person who is interested in science, being open to the possibility of God as a future discovery allows me to see more possibilities in the interpretation of new scientific data than does denying that possibility.  There is very little certainty in science.

There is no reason for you to believe as I do until you experience God for yourself.  The Bible says that if you seek him you will find him.  Until you do, to adopt an intellectual belief in God would be a meaningless act.  So why argue about it?  Seek or ignore, as you wish.

Thank You Notes

In a previous post, I wrote about the rule I made with my husband, then boyfriend, about not saying the generic, "I love you." Instead we agreed to find more accurate ways to express ourselves. Today, I've been thinking of another generic expression that could use some clarification.

Today, I could have written a generic, "thank you." But there was much more I could write. Things that would bring a smile to the reader and lighten their heart. I thought, if I were really grateful I'd take the time to be specific. I'd tell them what I thought was wonderful about them. I'd be unmistakably genuine.

I know a lot of people complain that handwritten thank you notes have gone out of favor. I don't care. Mine was an email. But what I wrote was real. More real than anything I ever wrote in an obligatory handwritten card. Not that I wasn't truly grateful before, but I was rushed and trite.

Age is settling well on me. With the passage of time I've grown a better set of priorities. I want to be more genuine. I want to be more truly connected. I want to take the time to say the nice things I think of others. We're raised with the rule, 'if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all.' But when we can say something nice, how often are we silent anyway? How desperate are we to hear good of ourselves, and how stingy with our praise of others?

We cannot live our lives without the company of others. Humanity as a species is incredibly interdependent. How beautifully our words of appreciation create deep channels between us through which the requirements of our interdependence can flow. Specificity in expression allows us to better understand what those channels need to transport.

I'm challenging myself, and you reader, to not withhold saying a good word to someone, when it is in our minds to think it. To be more specific with our words of gratitude. To value our human connections, even through digital mediums. To not lose an opportunity to speak encouragement.

I appreciate how my readers respond to what I write here, because it helps me to become a better writer. I appreciate when you like and share my links on Facebook, because it lets me know when something I've written really touched you or was useful to you. I don't widely publicize this blog because I feel that it's still writing practice. When you publicize it I feel truly honored. When people declare that the internet will be the downfall of polite society, I know they're wrong, because all of you are here, reading a blog that declares its purpose to be helping to create strong families. I hope my words make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because I'm not going to be posting any photos of kittens to try and make that happen.