Travis & God, PAC I, 3, 2010
TRAVIS: (entering) Last night, Lord.
GOD: The best night, Trav.
TRAVIS: (a beat) How do I…I mean…how do I…?
GOD: What? How do you what?
TRAVIS: How do I thank you? Everything in life, you’ve gotta pay for…or somebody does. You go to McDonalds, you pay for your hamburger…you buy a shirt you pay Wal-Mart..
GOD: I like Goodwill.
TRAVIS: Okay, but you’ve got to pay somebody. I learned that in physics…matter can’t be created or destroyed… it’s got to come from somewhere. You want something you pay for it somebody else does …and this whole weekend… I mean, we pay a registration fee but that just pays for the hotdogs and air conditioning and stuff.
GOD: Yeah?
TRAVIS: How do we…how I…thank you. I mean, just saying “Thank you,” doesn’t really seem like much.
GOD: Well…a couple of things come to mind.
TRAVIS: Like…?
GOD: This is on purpose, you know…for you to feel like this. I did it on purpose.
TRAVIS: Make me feel guilty?
GOD: No. I wanted to do something so …so big… so …unbelievable…something that didn’t make any sense at all….that it would get your attention…just to prove how much I love you. Know what I’m talking about?
TRAVIS: (Travis is confused for a moment…then it hits him. He slowly turns to the cross. Walks to it, makes it obvious what he’s looking at, then) Yeah. Yeah, I do.
GOD: Something with so much love that you could never possibly pay me back. Paying me back isn’t what it’s all about.
TRAVIS: Okay. I get that.
GOD: And tonight…up here at the altar, you can choose to say.. “Okay, I accept that…”
TRAVIS: (a beat, then) Or not.
GOD: Or not.
TRAVIS: You said there were a couple things I can do.
GOD: Yeah. The other one’s pretty simple.
TRAVIS: Good. Because I still…. (indicating the cross) …I can still barely get my mind around this one.
GOD: The second way to thank me…
TRAVIS: Yeah?
GOD: Praise.
TRAVIS: (a beat) Praise?
GOD: With your voice…with your dance…your mime and drama and music and art…and your heart. Not to make a show…even when you’re with a group of people, make it just you and me. Simply praising me in whatever you do. You play softball?
TRAVIS: I love softball.
GOD: Praise me in it…think about me… rely on me. Cleaning your room?
TRAVIS: Not too crazy about that one.
GOD: I know. I’ve seen your room. But praise me in the way you clean it. The way you talk to people..the way you don’t try to win every argument…the way you think more of others than of yourself. Just simple….praise.
TRAVIS: (a beat, then) I like that. Because you know what?
GOD: Of course, I’m God. But go ahead and say it.
TRAVIS: It makes me feel good, too.
GOD: Bingo. Praise…it’s the fuel that makes your prayer go somewhere.
TRAVIS: (a long beat, then..smiles) Lord, it’s gonna be a great night.
GOD: See you at the altar.
TRAVIS: Uh..before I go…
GOD: Yeah?
TRAVIS: Could I just…you know…praise you a minute?
GOD: Sure. Let me sit down. I’m gonna enjoy this.
TRAVIS: (a beat, then singing) Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him..Christ, the Lord. (to the audience) Come on! Let’s let God hear it! (encourages them to repeat the song and sing along)
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