Enduring Principle: All Are Called

Type: Dialogue

Characters:

Emotion
Mind
Body
Spirit

Props: Each character has a piece of paper with his or her allegorical character name boldly printed on it and attached to his or her clothing.

Costumes: Contemporary

Special Instructions: Age and gender are not specified and can be mixed. The drama is fast paced. This drama is targeted for the closing of reunions or events.

(Body enters and sits down on a chair. Emotion follows in step with Body, nearly stepping on Body's heals, and sits on top of Body. Mind enters right behind. Sitting on Body, Emotion lets out a long and loud sigh and collapses fully against Body.)

Mind: Can you possibly be any more dramatic?

Body: (muffled) Get off of me!

Emotion: (not moving) I'm exhausted!

(Spirit enters animated and happy. Spirit gives a little dance while humming a short section of "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning.")

Mind: You're happy.

Body: Get off of me!!

Spirit: We're connected. We're connected. We heard the word! ... Emotion, what are you doing?

Body: Help!

Spirit: Emotion, get off of Body.

Emotion: Who made you in charge?

Spirit: Get ... off.

Emotion: (getting off of Body) All right. All right.

Spirit: Uh-oh. I can't hear as well as I could a moment ago. What's going on?

Body: Nothing.

Emotion: Nothing.

Mind: Nothing.

Spirit: You know what? That just might be the problem.

Emotion: Who cares?

Spirit: What do you mean, who cares? Emotion, didn't you have a good time? Mind, weren't you stimulated? Body, didn't you feel invigorated?

Body: Yeah but now it's over and ...

Spirit: It's not over. Nothing's over. It's just begun.

Emotion: Oh please. You have it easy. You're connected to God.

Spirit: We're connected to God. We're all one person, you know.

Emotion: One person?

Spirit: Yes, one person! Emotion, Mind, Spirit, Body ... all one person!

Mind: My heavens, we have Multiple Personality Disorder.

Spirit: No. No.

Emotion: Really? Cool!

Spirit: Okay, you've got it all wrong. Together, we're whole, we're one.

Emotion: Can we choose our own names?

Spirit: We need to be healthy and that takes ...

Emotion: (dramatic) I'll be Emotion the Magnificent!

Mind: You'll be Emotion the Insane.

Body: I'll be asleep.

Spirit: You're not listening. You're not listening!

Body: Okay, Spirit. Okay. I know what you want. You want us to stay connected to God. You want us to respond.

Spirit: Yes, I do.

Body: The thing is, I work for a living. I have a lot of stress in my life. I don't always feel too good. I have enough to do without the added stress, without any more responsibility.

Emotion: (whining) I'm so ... so ... overwhelmed!

Mind: I get a real high, but then there's the low, you know? I don't like it.

Spirit: I know and that's my point. If we work together and live a holistic life, you won't experience the low and you won't feel stressed.

Mind: Doesn't make sense.

Emotion: Not the sharpest tack in the box today, are ya?

Spirit: Look. All we have to do is focus outward. Not inward, but outward.

Emotion: I can't do that.

Spirit: Sure you can, Emotion. I've seen you do it. You've felt compassion for other people. That's focusing outward you know.

Emotion: (whining) Let me put it another way. I don't wanna.

Mind: You're whining, Emotion.

Body: It IS pretty stressful.

Spirit: Look around you. Everything's here to help you.

Mind: What do you mean?

Spirit: The setting sun, the sky, the trees, the earth itself will renew us. Fellowship renews us. Worship renews us. All we have to do is focus outward and the stress lowers.

Body: That's it?

Spirit: You want a high? You want a way to connect to God without the low? Wake up in the morning and ask God, "What have you got on today that I can be a part of?" Then focus outward and expect surprises.

Emotion: Really? And what if we don't LIKE surprises?

Spirit: We focus outward and we can really help people without feeling that we have more responsibility. A smile helps. Listening to somebody helps. Just caring helps. Stewardship helps.

Emotion: Oh, that.

Spirit: The more we focus outward and respond to whatever need we see, the better we can hear God. Get it? It's a cycle. We hear, we respond, we hear, we respond and hear again. And it's the best high we can ever experience.

Body: And we can hear God? Even at work?

Spirit: Even at work. Even when things go wrong. We need to work together. We need to live a holistic life. We need to be healthy. Even you, body!

Mind: Okay. Fine. Let's do it.

Body: I'm game.

Spirit: "What have you got on today that I can be a part of?" It's a big adventure!

Emotion: (as they exit) Does this mean I can't whine any more?

Spirit: Oh sure, you can whine.

Mind: Hey, it's what you do.

Body: At least you're good at something!

Emotion: Nice. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Love you too, guys!

© 2008 Debra Bruch