ONE MAN

By: Tony R. Stuckless, Botwood, Newfoundland, Canada --- June 1st, 1999.

(Introduction to be read to the audience) This drama is about one person's encounter with God. It is the story of many of us and perhaps it is your story. Listen closely to what God has to say to each of us. Picture in your mind the scene painted by the speaker. Open your heart as well as your ears.

(As the lights focus on the stage we see a person sitting and facing the audience. A small table with a Bible and a cross are next to this person. The person begins to speak.)

Speaker: (quietly but firmly with growing passion) You don't know me but I'm the one who laughed at people going to church. I thought it was some kind of joke. I didn't care for God or Jesus! What were they to me? I was in charge of my own life! I saw my self as master of my life!

(Quietly) If I was so good at managing my own life, then why wasn't I happy? .... Where was the peace I so very much wanted? ........ I tried mixing in with the crowd. I tried being what I felt others wanted me to be. .... It just didn't work. I still wanted something. But what?

(Looks down at his hands and pauses)

Like lots of people, I flick through the TV stations looking for something to catch my attention. Well, believe it or not, one night I actually stopped on a station carrying a Billy Graham crusade. Why, I just don't know. I always flicked right on by any other time. ...... ( Looks right at the audience and says the next sentence slowly and with emphasis) This time, I stopped and listened. .... He was saying something about Jesus loving me in spite of any thing I might have done. He said, if I would come to Jesus, than Jesus would forgive me. .... Could this be true!? Jesus was something I said whenever I was mad or wanted to make a point. I kept watching as the music began to play and dozens and hundreds of people went forward. .... What were they looking for? Part of me wanted this, but another part said this was garbage. After all, what would my friends say? I started to get mad! Who was this preacher to call me a sinner?! I never stole from anyone. I never killed anyone. So, I flicked off the TV and picked a fight with my wife. ......... ( Looks at hands again and speaks more quietly) .... What a stupid reaction. We just wound up mad with each other. Well, I didn't sleep. I watched that clock go around and around. .... It must have been at least 5 AM before I finally drifted off. ( Pauses.......). You know, I went to Sunday School. .... I knew the story and now, I began to dream. ....... (fairly long pause).

(Looks at the audience after quickly raising his head).

Suddenly, I was in this small valley. The sun was blazing down on me and blinded my eyes. It was like some sort of desert! People were everywhere laughing at me and pointing at me! I felt scared. Everywhere I turned I faced more people. I couldn't move my arms either. They were tied behind my back. Someone pushed me to my knees and I fell face first into the dirt!... What was happening? I shouted at them to stop tormenting me, but I couldn't even hear myself. I struggled back to my knees and saw a cross. .... Yeah, it really was a cross lying on the ground with my name written on some papers nailed to the bottom of the cross. I squinted my eyes against the hot sun and could just make out a few words. It looked like a list of all the things I had ever done wrong. ..... My sins, just like the TV preacher had said. .... What was going to happen? .... (Excited now) A soldier pushed me to one side. I turned and saw a man being dragged to the cross! A knife cut through the ropes behind my back. I was free!.... I turned to run, (looks down and pauses, quieter now) but I couldn't. ............ I turned back to see He was being nailed to the cross. My name, with my sins, was still on the bottom of the cross. Why was He being nailed to my cross for my sins?! ..... (pauses) It struck me that this was Jesus! (More excited ) Jesus was about to die for me! I ran to the soldier nailing His hands to the cross. I grabbed the soldier's arm before the soldier could hit the nail again!

( pauses .....)

(Looks up at the audience and speaks rather quietly and firmly). Then it happened..... The soldier turned to look at me. We looked at each other. (stands quickly... louder now) I was looking at my own face!! The soldier was me! I let go of the arm and fell back! I didn't know what to think! The soldier, ... me..., was nailing Jesus to the cross with my sins! Every time I had done something wrong was another time I pounded the nails into His hands! I fell to my knees ( falls to knees and a light lights up the cross) . .... (voice cracks) I looked up to see Jesus hanging on the cross, with blood running down His body! The crowd was calling for His blood not mine! I cried out, "Jesus, I'm sorry! Help me!"......

(Pauses.............)

In spite of the pain, Jesus looked at me and smiled!.... The blood ran down His body and onto the papers with my name and sins. (stands now while speaking excitedly). As soon as one drop of His blood touched the pages, my name and sins were gone! I could not believe my eyes! I looked up at Jesus but the cross that seconds before bore His body was now empty! Jesus was gone! I turned around and the crowd and soldiers were gone! (Sits slowly)..... Suddenly, Jesus was there with me. I couldn't see Him, but I could feel His presence. Peace filled my body, like I had never felt before. This, this was what I had been searching for all along. If only I had know before? Then, I realized I had known all along, but had just not cared. I thought I had to be perfect first. How wrong I was. Jesus wanted me the way I was. He only wanted me to reach out to Him, to be saved and for me to turn from my sins. Jesus died for me as well as you. He died but even death could not hold Him. He beat death to give me life. ( ........ PAUSE......) He can give you life too. (kneels at the table or cross or mercy seat).

(A quiet, very prayerful song or music could be done here as an altar call after some seconds of silence.)

(This drama can be performed with one actor or actress or with a split stage to allow for others to act out the drama as the speaker pours out his or her heart.)

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