John and God, PAC III, 1
JOHN: (enters, looks around a bit, then..) God?
GOD: Hi John.
JOHN: Could we talk?
GOD: I’d love it.
JOHN: People pray a lot around here.
GOD: I love it.
JOHN: I know…and I do too. I really do.
GOD: I know. I hear you.
JOHN: But sometimes…and I’m not telling you anything new…sometimes when I get away from camp.. Well, I don’t know what happens to me.
GOD: We don’t talk as much, do we?
JOHN: No. (a beat) Sometimes we go for a really long time.
GOD: I know. I miss you, John.
JOHN: And it’s not because I don’t love you, Lord. Really…
GOD: I know.
JOHN: But… I just can’t…I don’t know…sometimes I just can’t get into it. I repeat the same old stuff. It gets old…
GOD: I know.
JOHN: So what do I do, Lord? How do I break out of this?
GOD: (a beat, then) It’s easy, really.
JOHN: It is?
GOD: Who’s a good friend of yours?
JOHN: …I don’t know. I have so many.
GOD: Pick one.
JOHN: Okay..(looks at crowd, then) Phil.
GOD: Good choice. Thank him.
JOHN: For what? I guess we haven’t really talked that much this weekend, we’ve been so busy.
GOD: I know. He knows that, too. So thank him…thank him for what he’s meant to you.
JOHN: Well…okay. .. (and this is adlib…talk directly to Phil…thank him for something he’s meant to you… finish with “I liked that, Lord.”)
GOD: Try another one…try Brennan. He’s your friend and you haven’t talked much to him this weekend. Thank him…
JOHN: (adlib this…thank Brennan for what he’s meant to you.. Finish with “That feels good.”)
GOD: Yeah. Really good. And you know what, John? You just opened something up. From now on…for the rest of the weekend, you’ve established a pretty cool relationship with Phil and Brennan…all because…
JOHN: …all because I began by thanking them…
GOD: Whatta you got in your pocket?
JOHN: Huh?
GOD: Your pocket. What’s in it?
JOHN: (feels around and bring out your keys) Just my keys.
GOD: So go out and start your car…
JOHN: Now?
GOD: Without your key.
JOHN: (a beat, then) I can’t do that.
GOD: Yeah. It’d be really hard. (a beat, then) Start your prayer with thanks, John, and that’s the…
JOHN: …That’s the key. That opens things up.
GOD: (a beat then) Let’s talk more often, my friend.
JOHN: Yeah. Yeah, we will.
GOD: And remember….the key…the first thing …..Thanks.
JOHN: (a long beat, then) Thanks. (exit)