BACK WISDOM 5'?m2f Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (scene: registration table near exit) LIZ -- (enters carrying stack of books, crosses to table at far exit) AMY -- (enters at registration table) Good morning. Welcome to the seminar. LIZ -- Good morning. Thank you. Do you have a registration for Elizabeth Templeton? AMY -- Let me check. (digs through box) No. I'm sorry, you won't be allowed to take this seminar. LIZ -- I won't? AMY -- No, I'm sorry. LIZ -- But, I pre-registered. They said that if I pre-registered, I would be guaranteed a seat in the seminar. AMY -- Let me check your previous registrations. (digs in box, pulls out a wad of fan-folded paper or a long roll of paper, let's it unfurl to the ground) Well, I see you've taken quite a number of seminars and Bible studies! LIZ -- Yes. I have. I've taken virtually every course and seminar and Bible Study ever offered. In fact, once I complete this seminar, I will have taken them all. So, what's the problem? AMY -- (taps paper) The problem is that you've been excluded. LIZ -- Excluded?! You can't exclude me! This is the very last course available. I need this course. How can I say I've taken all the courses if I can't take this course? AMY -- That's why you've been excluded. LIZ -- I don't understand. AMY -- You're being excluded because, in spite of all the knowledge you've accumulated, you don't know the difference between knowledge and wisdom. LIZ -- Knowledge and wisdom are the same thing. AMY -- I'm sorry, that's where you're wrong. The Bible says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. LIZ -- I know that verse. That's from Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10. AMY -- I see that you have memorized a lot of scripture verses. LIZ -- Yes, I have. I've memorized 305 scripture verses so far. AMY -- Good. Can you recite the rest of Psalm 111:10? LIZ -- Certainly. (robotically) Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. AMY -- Do you know what that means? LIZ -- Know what WHAT means? AMY -- That verse? Psalm 111:10. Do you know what it means? LIZ -- Well, of course I know what it means! I memorized it, didn't I?! It means (robotically) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding." AMY -- And do you follow his precepts? LIZ -- Well, sure! AMY -- His precepts tell you to give to the poor. Do you give to the poor? LIZ -- I've been very busy studying. AMY -- Are you patient, kind and gentle with those you love? LIZ -- I've been very busy studying. AMY -- Tell me something. Why would the Lord want to give you anymore knowledge, when the knowledge he's already given you has done no good whatsoever? LIZ -- Well, I wouldn't say that my knowledge has done no good whatsoever. I've done some good. AMY -- Can you give me an example? LIZ -- Alright. I haven't done any good. Please let me take this seminar, then as soon as I'm done, I promise I'll start doing good. I promise! AMY -- Well, if you insist, here's the course material. (offers sheet of paper) LIZ -- (takes paper, reads, turns paper over) This is it?! This is the entire seminar? AMY -- That's it. LIZ -- But this is just one sentence! This can't be all there is to the course! This whole thing is a hoax! You don't really work for the people who put on the seminar! I'm going in! (exits, reenters) There's nobody in there. Was the class cancelled? AMY -- Did you happen to read what was written on the board? LIZ -- Yes. It was the same sentence that was written on this paper. This is really... (reads) Oh. AMY -- What's the matter? LIZ -- (reads page) This is... (reads page) This is... Well, isn't that something?! It says. (reads page) "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." All these years I've been chasing knowledge as if it was some kind of trophy. AMY -- What's wrong with that? LIZ -- I've been so busy trying to IMPRESS people that I have failed to SERVE people. AMY -- What's wrong with that? (exits quietly when Liz turns away) LIZ -- (turns away) It's short-sighted. That's what's wrong with it. I'm not going to get any rewards in Heaven for IMPRESSING people. Oh, wow, after spending all that time in class, I've been neglecting half of my homework. It looks like I've got a lot of apologizing to do. (turns) Thanks for the seminar. (turns 360) Where did she go? (exits) Oh, wow! What a great seminar that was. ©2013 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org email: [email protected] BACK |