The Pilgrims

Participants:4 Pilgrims, 4 Tourists  &  4Gospel Team Members

(The pilgrims comes to the stage with their back packs, all tired and weak)

Pilgrim-4: I am so tired, I can’t walk any more!

Pilgrim-1: Wow, you initiated this pilgrimage and now you are tired?

Pilgrim-2: I don’t want to visit any more temples! Until now, we couldn’t find peace or happiness any where.

Pilgrim-3: A pilgrim shouldn’t be discouraged this way. We must move on until we find peace and happiness in our life.

Pilgrim-4: You are right Pilgrim-3, I can’t go back to my old life again without peace and happiness.

Pilgrim-1: O, this is very boring! And I feel very hungry. I am going back.

Pilgrim-2: Anyhow, let’s take some rest before we move again.

Pilgrim-3: All right, sit here Pilgrim-1.

Pilgrim-1: Do you have something to eat?

Pilgrim-2: Don’t you have anything else to say?

Pilgrim-3: Pilgrim-1, we must forget our hunger and thirst, if you really seek peace.

Pilgrim-4: Everyone needs peace, but no one has a little patience!

(The tourists come to the scene)

Tourist-1: (talking to Tourist-2 & Tourist-3) I can see some pilgrims waiting here.

Tourist-2 : Pilgrims! Are there such foolish people even today!

Tourist-3: Yes, they think that by visiting temples they get Moksha.

Tourist-4: Let me take their photo for my album

Tourist-1: Come on, let’s talk to them.

Tourist-2: Hello pilgrims,

Pilgrim-3: Hi friends, nice to see you here! Are you also pilgrims?

Tourist-3: Pilgrims! Good joke.

Pilgrim-2: What is the joke, being a pilgrim is not a joke.

Tourist-4: We are not Pilgrims

Pilgrim-1: then why did you come to this holy temple?

Tourist-1: Well, we are tourists visiting different places.

Pilgrim-3: Tourists! What have tourists to do with temples?

Pilgrim-2: Do you get peace and happiness by visiting these places?

Tourist-2: Peace and happiness? We are enjoying our life.

Tourist-3: Girls, roam around the world, eat good food and make merry; you may get peace and happiness!

Pilgrim-4: “You may get” that means you are not yet sure!

Tourist-4: Well, why don’t you try it?

Pilgrim-2: I thought if we have peace and happiness, we will enjoy the life.

Tourist-1: Don’t waste your time thinking about all these nonsense – Peace- happiness- you can think about it when you become old. Now enjoy your youth.

Pilgrim-3: But, I tried all these but of no use. I was desperate before and even now I am.

Tourist-4: Poor hopeless people!

Pilgrim-1: Yes, we have no hope in our lives, not even for a packet of potato chips!

Tourist-2: You don’t need any of these to live in this world. What you need is money- make money and enjoy your life!

Pilgrim-4: I don’t think money can make us happy. The more money you have more will be your problems.

Tourist-4: Why don’t you try making friendship with others?

Pilgrim-2: We tried to make lot of friends, but no one could give us peace and happiness.

Tourist-4: You change this funny dress and come with us. We will give you happiness.

Pilgrim-1: You can’t find a real friend anywhere. See, I am hungry & thirsty, but no one cares for me.

Pilgrim-4: O my God, is there any hope for us anywhere?

(The Gospel team comes to the stage, singing a song)

There is not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one! No not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases
No not one! No not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles
He will guide till the day is done
There is not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one! No not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy,
No not one! No not one!
Any yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
No not one! No not one!

Pilgrim-4: Is it a Christmas carol?

Gospel Team Member-1: Hi girls, nice to meet all of you!

Pilgrim-3: Hello, please don’t disturb us; we are pilgrims, let’s take some rest.

Gospel Team Member-3: Pilgrims? Where are you going?

Pilgrim-1: We don’t know where exactly we are going!

Pilgrim-2: We visit all temples trying to find peace and happiness in our life.

Gospel Team Member-2: It seems you all are traveling for long. Did you find peace or happiness anywhere?

Pilgrim-4: Not a bit, we are just wasting our time and money.

Pilgrim-3: Yes, simply roaming from one temple to the other.

Gospel Team Member-3: (to Tourist-1, Tourist-2, Tourist-4 & Tourist-3) Hi girls, what about you?

Tourist-1: Hi, we are tourists, visiting places around the world.

Tourist-3: We were giving them some good advices, but…

Tourist-2: They don’t want to accept our ideas.

Pilgrim-4: We don’t need ideas; can anyone give us peace & happiness in our life?

Pilgrim-1: And something to eat please! I am very hungry.

Gospel Team Member-3: Sure, we have some food with us; we will have it together. But before that listen to what we want to say.

Gospel Team Member-1: Listen girls, we have some good news for you.

Pilgrim-2: Good news for us? What’s that?

Pilgrim-1: Good news or bad news- Give me something…...

Pilgrim-4: Pilgrim-1, listen to what they want to tell us.

Gospel Team Member-2: Girl, first let us give some food for your soul.

Pilgrim-3: Food for our souls! What are you talking?

Elen: Yes girls, we are happy to share the happiness we have in our lives.

Pilgrim-2: To share happiness! Wow that’s what we are also looking for!

Tourist-1: Are you supplying happiness to every one?

Gospel Team Member-1: It’s not that we supply happiness, but we know somebody who can.

Pilgrim-3: Somebody who can give happiness! We will definitely go to him.

Tourist-4: Girls, what you were looking for is right in front of you.

Tourist-2: You mean you are agents for happiness & peace?

Gospel Team Member-2: You may call us agents of that person.

Tourist-3: Person! I thought you are propagating some religion.

Elen: It’s about Him only we were singing just now. His name is Jesus.

Gospel Team Member-3: Yes, we are. There is not a friend like Jesus - not even one.

Pilgrim-4 & Pilgrim-2: JESUS! Who is he?

Gospel Team Member-1: It’s an old, old story, a story of great love. Do you want to listen to it?

Pilgrim-1: Yes, please tell me that story.

Pilgrim-4: Tell me that old, old story,

Pilgrim-2: Tell me the old, old story,

Pilgrim-3: Tell me the old, old story…

Together: Of Jesus and His Love.

Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Gospel Team Member-1: Sure girls, we will tell you the story of Jesus. Long ago, God made Adam & Eve, the first man & woman. He gave the Garden of Eden for them to live. But soon, devil cheated them and made them disobey God. Thus Adam and Eve became sinners. God, who is Holy, cannot live with a sinner. So, He threw them out of the garden.

Gospel Team Member-2: Adam & Eve came out and lived outside the garden. They had to work very hard to make a living. They got many children and they multiplied in plenty. But God did not forsake them for ever. He wanted to save Adam’s children from eternal death. Therefore God sent his only son Jesus Christ to this world.

Pilgrim-2: Why did He send Jesus to the earth?

Gospel Team Member-3: The Holy God cannot leave a sinner without punishment. Therefore He put all their punishments on Jesus to save mankind. Whoever believes that Jesus Christ died for his sins, God gives them the right to become His children.

Pilgrim-3: How can God punish his own son for the sinners?

Elen: Our God is a loving God, he loved the world so much that He gave his own son as a ransom for the sinners. Jesus also loved the mankind that He took the punishment on his shoulder and died on the cross.

Pilgrim-4: Then what happened?

Gospel Team Member-1: But since Jesus is God, death could not hold him for long. He broke the tomb and rose again on the third day. Now he lives in heaven and will come back soon to take all those who believe in him. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will have everlasting life. Their lives in the earth will be happy and they will have the peace that passeth all understanding.

Gospel Team Member-3: Dear girls, this is the good news that we wanted to tell you. Do you want this peace and happiness in your lives?

Pilgrim-1: Oh, this is wonderful. We also want this peace in our lives.

Pilgrim-4: now we don’t need this funny dress anymore.

Pilgrim-2: Nor this useless baggage

Pilgrim-3: We want to be friends of Jesus, the God who died for us.

Gospel Team Member-2: What about you ‘tourist girls’?
Tourists:
Tourist-1: Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Tourist-2: Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Tourist-3 & Tourist-4: Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty.
Pilgrims:
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
Gospel team:
Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all, wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.
All:
Sing them over again to us, wonderful words of life,
Let us more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach us faith and duty.
Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us for-ever.