Lost and Found

Lost and Found
A sketch with a twist that challenges our zeal for evangelism
Parts in order of appearance: ·         Husband ·         Beggar ·         Wife A husband opens the door quietly so as not to disturb his wife, who is off stage, and then turns and beckons his new friend, a beggar he has just befriended, into the house (onto the stage). They both step through the door. The husband is keen not to disturb his wife until he has the chance to explain who he has brought home.
Husband	(Quietly) Come in, Come in.
Beggar	(Not quiet but not loud either) Thank you so much for all you are doing for me.
Husband	Oh that’s quite alright. It’s what Christ calls us to do as Christians. (still quiet and looking around nervously)
Beggar	I know, you keep telling me, and I am grateful. Ever since you started talking to me in the subway…
Husband	Shhhh. I don’t want you to startle my wife.
Beggar	Sorry!
Husband	Don’t apologise, it will be OK. Now don’t worry, I do want you to meet her. Besides you’ll have to meet her otherwise she will wonder who it is in the shower when you are up there.
Wife	(Shouting from off stage) Husband, is that you. You’re late again. You’ve not brought another beggar home have you?  (Awkward silence then she walks on stage and stares at husband then looks at beggar and says politely to him) Good evening. (Turns back to husband and stares angrily hands on hips and tapping her feet)
Beggar	Good evening, nice to meet you.
Wife	(smiles again at beggar and turns attention back to husband and stares expectantly)
Husband	(Strides over to his wife, arms open and hugs her) Hello darling. I’m home.
Wife	Again! (Doesn’t respond to hug)
Husband	I always come home?
Wife	Yes, you do don’t you! This is the third beggar you’ve brought home this week.
Husband	I know, but you know God calls all Christians to give. (Turns to Beggar) Please take a seat in our lounge. Make yourself at home.
Beggar	Thank you. (Walks to edge of stage and takes a seat and reads a paper)
Wife	(Takes husband to one side and from now on the conversation is meant to be out of ear shot of the beggar) I have no food left.
Husband	None at all?
Wife	How am I meant to feed him and us? I only have a meal for two left in the freezer. I was going shopping tomorrow.
Husband	We can split it 3 ways can’t we?
Wife	Tut! I suppose… (Sniffs). What’s that smell?
Husband	I can’t smell anything.
Wife	It’s him isn’t it?
Husband	Oh that smell. It’s what I brought him back for.
Wife	For a shower?
Husband	Yes
Wife	OK, but keep an eye on him as we lost our toothbrushes last time and I had to go to my pilates class with breath that could peel wallpaper.
Husband	How can I keep an eye on him in the shower? It’s a bit rude me stood in there with him...
Wife	Well I can’t can I?
Husband	No, I suppose you can’t.
Wife	(Pause then suddenly pointing) Why is he wearing my slippers?
Husband	He has small feet.
Wife	What?
Husband	And he had nothing to keep his feet warm. He was homeless.
Wife	I know God calls us to give, but those are my best slippers. At least you’ve given him your scarf, although I did give you it for your birthday. It took me ages to find one like that.
Husband	In the early Church they shared everything according to those who had need.
Wife	Yes but they were in the same Church. They were sharing things with each other in the same Church.
Husband	He is in our Church.
Wife	No he isn’t. Our church isn’t that big and besides I would have smelled him.
Husband	He is a new member.
Wife	How new?
Husband	About 2 hours ago.
Wife	(Startled) 2 hours ago?
Husband	When he became a Christian.
Wife	Hold on a minute. You said about the early Church sharing things. How much have you shared exactly?
Husband	Your slippers as he had no shoes. (Pause) And my hat. (Pause) My belt as his trousers were about to fall down. (Longer pause)
Wife	And?
Husband	My sandwich as he had no food. (Pause) And my drink. Actually I am a bit thirsty. I would love a cup of tea.
Wife	Don’t change the subject. What else have you given him…
Husband	He has no money so I gave him some of ours.
Wife	OK how much, £5 or £10?
Husband	A tad more than that. He has nothing. Only the clothes he is wearing.
Wife	Ok, ok but how much. It’s the end of the month and I don’t have much for the shopping tomorrow as it is. Hold on, oh no, you’ve not given him all our shopping money have you?
Husband	(Awkward shuffle) Oh no I didn’t do that.
Wife	That’s a relief, we have to eat as well you know.
Husband	I gave him our savings.
Wife	(Explodes) OUR WHAT?
Beggar	(At the shout he looks over)
Husband	Sorry! Didn’t mean to disturb you.
Beggar	That’s alright. I’m not causing any problems am I?
Husband	No not at all. No problems (Beggar returns to what he was doing and husband turns back to wife trying to calm her)
Wife	(In an angry staccato tone) You… gave… him… our… savings…. All of it?
Husband	In the Bible the rich young ruler had to give up all he had to follow Jesus. I didn’t want to go away sad like he did.
Wife	Yes but all of it? Why on earth would you … oh no …hold on … he’s homeless. Tell me you’ve not given him our home.
Husband	(Pause) Not exactly. We do have a spare room though.
Wife	He’s moving in?
Husband	Yes
Wife	(Angrily) When?
Husband	After his shower.
Wife	He can’t. My mother is coming to staying this week!
Husband	Sorry, I forgot.
Wife	She’ll be here tomorrow. Where can she sleep?
Husband	Good question. (Thinks and then has an idea) I know, after his shower he can take a drive…
Wife	(Interrupts) He can take a drive? HE CAN TAKE A DRIVE? How can he take a drive he hasn’t got a car!
Husband	(Smiles awkwardly) He needs a car so he can find a job. I gave him your car so he can …
Wife	(Interrupts again) My car? You gave him my car? Why not your car? He only joined the Church 2 hours ago and you’re … etc
	(The argument goes on in the background – a bit of ad libing is called for here. The Beggar stands up and walks to the front to address the audience)
Beggar	I may be a bit new to all this, having just become a Christian, but even I can see there are a lot of questions to be answered here. Questions like – How much should a Christian give? Who should they give to? When should you share with Church members? Should you give to Beggars? (Nods towards Husband and Wife) Should they get marriage guidance? These are questions I can’t answer. All I know is 2 hours ago I was lost, but now, thanks to this mans actions, I am found. How much are you prepared to give to win souls for Jesus?

Hope and Encouragement are good friends

Encouragement and Hope were good friends. One day they were walking down the street, having a chat and looking out for people to encourage and give hope to when they found a man who was lost and couldn’t see anyway he would have a future for himself. Hope sat down with him and talked to him and gave him hope – It’s what he does. Encouragement talked to him about the good things he could see in the man and how he could use these good things – It’s what he does as well.

They walked with the man for a while until the man was ready to go on his own, and then he did. This is what Encouragement and Hope do. 

Encouragement and Hope walked on. Encouragement turned to Hope and commented on the fact that the words Hope had just used were perfect for the man they had just met. Hope explained he had learned from an old friend called Trust that it is best to allow the words to come from the heart. Encouragement said how he would like to meet Trust. Hope thought he already had.

Now as they were having this discussion, they turned down a small alleyway and bumped into Hindrance and Impossibility. These two were their nemesis. It has to be said it was strange how no matter where Encouragement and Hope went, they always found Hindrance and Impossibility weren't far away. Anyway, these ne’er-do-wells were determined to discourage and create hopelessness amongst all people. The found if they could do this it would lead people to Hatred. Now you need to know, wherever Hindrance and Impossibility lurked, and they were particularly good at lurking, you could always rely on their gang leader Hatred being just around the corner.  The more people that Hatred had in his gang the stronger and more powerful he became.

The four of them bumping into each other was literal. They bumped into each other as they walked down a narrow alleyway (These sort of things always happen in narrow alleyways). Hope and Encouragement greeted them and politely asked them to move. Hindrance responded simply by deliberately getting in the way, and Impossibility sneeringly pointed out he could not possibly move. The four of them stood staring into each other’s eyes, not in a nice way either. Their eyes narrowed and tension mounted. Hope and Encouragement were peace loving but were not afraid to get into a battle should the matter rise to the level of combat.

As fists clenched and nostrils flared, the tension mounted. Then Hope turned to Encouragement and said “You, know we don’t need to fight today.”

Encouragement nodded “It wouldn’t be fair” he said “considering whom we’ve arranged to meet.”

The two of them agreed and started to back out of the alleyway. Hindrance and Impossibility snarled and growled about how there was no hope of them escaping, that it was impossible to get away, and how they should give up. They paused for a moment to consider what Encouragement meant about it not being fair and who exactly they were meeting. The pause didn’t last long, as Hindrance and Impossibility suddenly smiled.

In normal circumstances Hope and Encouragement like a smile and positively encourage the facial activity, but it has to be said they didn’t like these particular smiles. The reason for the smiles, was that Hindrance and Impossibility had spotted their leader Hatred who was slowly and menacingly creeping up behind Hope and Encouragement. He was good at creeping up on people. He got closer, beside him was his fearsome sidekick Anger. They both crept silently as Hope and Encouragement were backing out of the alleyway. The thing with Hatred is he didn’t like to let Hindrance and Impossibility out on their own. He always wanted to make sure they did exactly what he told them to do, he had obviously never met Trust.

As our two friends backed out of the alleyway, they saw the crooked aggressive smiles on the faces of Hindrance and Impossibility. They heard their snarling and the growling words becoming stronger, telling them they had no way of getting out of this, spitting the words out at them.

Then they heard Anger growl, and then Hatred simply said ‘At last I can finish you’

Hope and Encouragement turned. They stood face to face with Anger and Hatred.

Hope and Encouragement smiled.

Hatred was infuriated by what he saw as belligerence on the part of Hope and Encouragement. Hatred and Anger roared and stepped forward fists raised ready to annihilate Hope and destroy Encouragement, but they both suddenly stopped just before throwing the first punch.

The stopped as they stared in disbelief over the shoulders of Hope and Encouragement as the figures of Hindrance and Impossibility flee out the other end of the alleyway.

How dare they! Hatred and Anger fuelled by hatred and anger (obviously), raised their fists again, but yet again stopped, as this time from behind them, they heard footsteps. Did these footsteps belong to the one Hope and Encouragement had arranged to meet? Was this why they were still smiling?

Realisation dawned on Hatred. He knew and really loathed those footsteps. He knew exactly who they belonged to and he knew he could not defeat the one making them, no matter how he might try, oh and he had tried. Anger wanted to fight, he always wanted to fight. Hatred lowered his fists, Anger copied. Hatred looked at the two friends “Is it Love behind me?” he asked. Hope and Encouragement nodded.

Hatred fled. Anger looked back, he saw Love and thought about staying, but quickly decided this was no place for him today and ran after Hatred.

Love walked up to Hope and Encouragement. Love was strong, Love was big, Love was beautiful and brave. Love greeted Hope and Encouragement with a smile and a big warm hug. Love won again.

This type of conflict happens all day every day, be strong and get to know Hope and Encouragement, meet their friend Trust and do everything knowing Love is the best and strongest of all, and of course …

                …we all know who Love is.