Roman interrogator
The pressure is building
Shepherd sticks to his story
|
| | | Christmas Nativity - 19 December 2021 |
Interrogation time
This
year we did manage a ‘play’ in person, as well as the
YouTube version, but with only two characters, so that we could
maintain social distancing in church. There was a shepherd, but that
was as close as we got to a conventional nativity play.
 The
setting was an interrogation room at the HQ of the Roman Secret Service
in Jerusalem; present were the interrogator (Margaret Webster –
with Bill too in the video), and the head shepherd from Bethlehem (Neil
Cape).
Margaret made a scary interrogator, trying
(unsuccessfully) to convince the head shepherd that what he’d
seen and heard on the north pasture had a perfectly natural explanation
that had nothing to do with angels or new-born kings (that would be
treason).
 But
what the head shepherd had seen and heard had not convinced him to go
with the others to look for the new-born king (apparently there was a
baby in a stable behind the pub – confirmed by Roman agents)
– and that was the point of the story.
Some of us hear
the good news of Jesus’ birth and go to find him, while others
don’t want to hear or listen, but continue in their old,
comfortable ways. The head shepherd was stuck in his job – but
still willing to stick up for the others; for the Roman secret police
some things could just not be believed – not because they
hadn’t happened, but because the implications were too awkward if
their control over the population was to be maintained.
It’s
all too easy for us to choose not to believe what we’ve seen and
heard, and take the appropriate action – easier to do nothing, or
convince ourselves that it’s not in our interest – and miss
out on the wonderful offer of life that comes from finding Jesus.
The
play was taken from ‘The Davidson File’ by S. B. Jackman,
which includes several other ‘official documents’
concerning the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus –
food for thought.
Watch the online nativity video https://youtu.be/JZUiGhDpdhI?t=15m25s
Published - 27 December 2021
Penicuik: St. Mungo's Parish
Church (Church of
Scotland). Scottish Charity No SC00583 | |
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