Love your Neighbor

 

Family 1: Benita, Febi, Merril, Jessica  

Family 2: Evelin, Renu, Salome

(Scene- two neighboring houses - Some one throws a garbage bag to the neighbor’s compound; Benita comes out and finds the garbage bag)

Benita: Merril, why did you put this garbage here? I have told you many times to put it in the bin.

Merril: Its not me. I didn’t take out the garbage bag today. May be it is Febi.

Benita: Febi, Febi…….

Febi: What’s the matter? Why are you screaming in the morning?

Benita: Why did you put this garbage bag here? You know it’s not the right place for it.

Febi: Who said I put it there? Its not me.. see the cover.. its not even ours!

Merril: Then whose is that? May be it is a Birthday gift for Febi.

Benita: Wait.. let me see ( picks the bag and examines – looks to the other house)

Febi: I told you.. it is not ours. They are throwing their garbage here.

Benita: it seems you are right, Febi.

Merril: But why do they throw their garbage to our compound?

Jessica: yesterday it was raining in the evening, and they didn’t want to go out in the rain to the garbage bin.

Febi: Give me that, I will pack this and sent it to them by post

Jessica: Let’s throw it back to their compound

Merril: Don’t throw it back, let’s take it to them and ask

Benita: wait, we are not going to throw it back or take it to them; Jessica you put this in the garbage bin.

Jessica: Why should I take their garbage; give it to Febi.

Febi: Ayyee… I am not their Kachada cleaner.

Benita: We are believers, we must forgive them; Merril, can you put this in the garbage bin?

Merril: OK fine, I will do it; but only for today (takes the garbage bag to the bin)

Benita: Real Christians always face problems from others; we must be patient and show God’s love to the world. Come let’s go in.

(All members of Family1 goes in; and members of Family2 comes to the scene)

Evelin: (peeks over the compound wall- finds that the garbage bag is not there)

Hurray! My idea worked well;

Renu: Are you sure they removed it? (Looks over the wall)

Evelin: Yes, those girls did it - absolutely free of charge

Salome: Girls, this is a dirty game. One day they will catch you.

Evelin: Nobody will see me because I am throwing it at night.

Renu: And even if they see, they won’t fight with us. Because they are “Real Christians”

Salome: Well, I don’t agree with you, after all they are our neighbors

Evelin: We should have some help from our neighbors…no?

Salome: I am going in; if you face any problems solve it yourselves.

Renu: This is the 21st century; you must use your brain not your back;

Evelin (brings a bunch of newspapers) throw this into their car porch.

(Evelin throws the newspapers in to the neighbor’s compound and vanishes. Hearing the sound, Merril comes out quickly)

Merril: Who is throwing this garbage here? Who is that? (looks around- Febi & Jessica also comes out)

Febi: they did it again? They are getting on my nerves….

Merril: We should complain to the Police. What do they think of us?

Jessica: throw this right back into their compound

Febi: Good idea, we will teach them learn a lesson today

Merril: But remember, we are believers…

(Benita comes out)

Benita: What’s wrong?

Febi: They threw garbage again! We must do something otherwise they will make this a habit.

Benita: we are believers and we should not do such things. We must forgive and forget.

Merril: Then are we going to pick up their garbage everyday?

Benita: (looks in to the garbage and finds a passport ) What’s this? A passport?

Febi: A passport? May be it is an old one

Merril: Nobody is supposed to throw their passport even if it is old

Benita: This is not old, I think they have accidentally thrown it

Jessica: Let us keep this.. and teach them a lesson

Febi: Yes, we will make them beg for it

Benita: No, no.. we cannot do that .. we should give it back

Merril: Ok we will give, but only when they beg for it

Benita: No no this is the right time to make them our friends. Come on let us call them

Jessica: Anybody there?

Febi: Hi girls.. Please come out

Benita: How are you girls?

Evelin: We are very fine.. (laughs)

Salome: I told you no? they are coming for a fight- now you handle it

Renu: Come in… we will have some tea

Merril: We want to give you something…

Evelin: What ….Something to eat?

Benita: Is this your passport?

Renu: show me … My God.. how did you get this?

Febi: You should keep your passport safe

Jessica: and don’t throw it along with the Kachada into our compound

Evelin: Kachada… into your compound..

Salome: You dug a pit and you have fallen into it! But thank God, they are good people!

Merril: Yes, friends.. If it were with anyone else, you would have been in trouble.

Benita: We are real Christians and we wanted to show God’s love towards you..

Evelin: Sorry sisters.. it was our mistake.

Renu: We are very sorry for what happened and we are thankful to you for showing kindness towards us.

Merril: It’s ok… but we want to tell you about Jesus and the way he loved his enemies

Evelin:  We are also Christians but we have never experienced this type of love

Benita: Love is some thing to be practiced, not just to be preached; This is the new commandment which Jesus has taught us. He has loved the world and gave his life as a ransom for us. We want you to experience this love in your life.

Renu: Thanks telling us about this great love. We also want to experience this in our life.

Conclusion:

Salome: Dear friends, what you have seen is an example of the expression of Christian love. Very often we are offended by the bad deeds of others. Retaliating to all such problems only worsens the situation. A Christian must show God’s love that lives in him. In 1 John we read “If anyone says ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother – he is a liar; for anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Let us love our neighbors that they too may see God’s great love.