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SUBSTANC 3'?m2f Rewards on Earth and in Heaven, idolatry

(scene: a small table DC)

AMY -- (enters wearing white tunic, wings optional, shouts)
Next, please.

LIZ -- (enters opposite carrying large box labeled REWARDS)

AMY -- Welcome to Heaven.

LIZ -- Thank you.

AMY -- What do you have there?

LIZ -- My rewards.

AMY -- Your rewards?

LIZ -- Yes. Where would you like me to put them?

AMY -- Actually, I'm not sure. Noone ever brought their own
rewards to Heaven before.

LIZ -- You mean I'm the only one?

AMY -- Most people come to Heaven to receive their rewards.

LIZ -- Oh, well, I worked very hard to earn these rewards. I
didn't want to leave them behind. Would you like to see them?
(puts box on table)

AMY -- See them?

LIZ -- My rewards. I'm rather proud of them. Would you like to
see them?

AMY -- Oh, ah, sure. Why not?

LIZ -- (opens box, gasps)

AMY -- What's the matter?

LIZ -- It's empty!

AMY -- Empty? (looks) You're right. It's empty.

LIZ -- I don't understand it. This box was crammed full of
rewards just before I... just before I came here.

AMY -- And now they're gone.

LIZ -- What could have happened to them?

AMY -- Well, what kinds of things did you have in there?

LIZ -- Well, there were all kinds of trophies. There was
prestige, popularity, pleasure, power, and possessions....

AMY -- In other words, the things people most value on Earth.

LIZ -- That's right. Say, you wouldn't happen to have metal
detectors or bomb sniffers outside, would you?

AMY -- Excuse me?

LIZ -- I mean maybe in going through security, someone thought
my rewards were some kind of security threat.

AMY -- Oh, no. There's no security checkpoint outside. But you
might have hit upon something.

LIZ -- What do you mean?

AMY -- When you passed from death to eternal life, the substance
of things changed.

LIZ -- What kind of change?

AMY -- Things that have substance on earth have no substance
here in Heaven. Nobody has ever tried to carry prestige,
popularity, pleasure, power, and possessions from earth to
Heaven before. And now I see why.

LIZ -- Why?

AMY -- They don't have any real substance. They have substance
on earth. But no substance in Heaven. In fact, now that I think
of it, they're worthless and useless here in Heaven.

LIZ -- But I worked so hard to acquire them!

AMY -- Well, they may have served their purpose on Earth, but
they're of no value here in Heaven.

LIZ -- Why not?

AMY -- Well, because prestige, popularity, pleasure, power, and
possessions are all substitutes for an intimate relationship
with God.

LIZ -- Oh. I see.

AMY -- What do you see?

LIZ -- All my rewards on earth are counterfeits. God couldn't
allow counterfeits in Heaven.

AMY -- (exiting) Now that you've seen the counterfeits, would
you like to meet the real thing?

LIZ -- (follows) The real thing? You mean I get to meet God
himself?!

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