A Day Like This

A Liturgical Playlet

REFRAIN: WHEN WERE YOU HUNGRY OR NAKED OR POOR?
WHEN DID YOU ASK FOR WATER?

I WAS AT DACHAU AND AUSCHWITZ
I AM AT HANOI AND SAIGON
I AM BURIED IN EGYPT AND ISRAEL
I AM SICK OF WAR
.

I STAND WITH HUNGRY EYES
AND WATCH SURPLUS FOOD GO UP IN FLAMES
I AM A MIGRANT WORKER'S CHILD
STARVING IN THE LAND OF PLENTY



I AM THE BASTARD CHILD OF A BASTARD CHILD
I AM GHETTO BRED WITH TORCH AND STONE
NO ONE LISTENS UNLESS I AM VIOLENT
NO ONE CARES UNTIL THEY FEEL MY HATE


I AM AN OLD PERSON IGNORED AND ALONE
I AN A YOUNG MAN IN THE GUTTER ON DRUGS
I AM THE CHILD TAUGHT HATE BY MY ELDERS
I AM LOST AND DO NOT KNOW THE WAY


IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DAY LIKE THIS

THAT I WAS HUNGRY
A DAY LIKE THIS THAT I WAS POOR
A DAY LIKE THIS WHEN I TRIED TO HELP
A DAY LIKE THIS WHEN MY CHURCH BEGAN



IT NIGHT HAVE BEEN A DAY LIKE THIS WHEN IT ALL BEGAN
A DAY LIKE THIS
WHEN HE NAMED PETER... ROCK
WHEN HE GAVE IT BIRTH
KNOWING THE BIRTH PAINS WOULD NOT CEASE TILL IT WAS DEAD
TWELVE DIFFERENT MEN IN AGE AND WISDOM
TWELVE DIFFERENT MEN IN DREAMS AND HOPES
TWELVE DIFFERENT MEN RECEIVING TRUTH
TWELVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TELLING IT BACK
TWELVE DIFFERENT MEN


IT NIGHT HAVE BEEN A DAY LIKE THIS
THAT SATAN TIPTOED UP
"DUMMY
ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT AGAIN

ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES
YOUR FATHER DID
ARE YOU GOING TO FOUND A CHURCH?"
AS USUAL SATAN HAD SHOWN GOOD SENSE
HE'D TOLD THE TRUTH
FOR EVEN CHRIST WAS FINDING FAULT

WITH WHAT HE SAW

I DO NOT WANT SACRIFICES BUT KINDNESS

MATTHEW 12


THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR WORDS
BUT THEIR HEART IS REALLY FAR FROM ME
IT IS NO USE FOR THEM TO WORSHIP ME
BECAUSE THEY TEACH MAN MADE COMMANDMENTS
AS THOUGH
THEY WERE GOD'S RULES

MATTHEW 15


THEY FIX UP HEAVY LOADS
AND TIE THEM ON MEN'S BACKS
YET THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO LIFT A FINGER
TO HELP CARRY THESE LOADS

MATTHEW 23


YOU ARE LIKE WHITEWASHED TOMBS
FINE ON THE OUTSIDE
BUT FULL OF DEAD MEN'S BONES

MATTHEW 23


I HAVE NOT COME TO DO AWAY WITH THE LAW
BUT TO GIVE IT REAL MEANING

MATTHEW 5

THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED
TURNED OUT TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT STONE

MATTHEW 21


MY WEDDING FEAST IS READY
BUT THE PEOPLE I INVITED DID NOT DESERVE IT
GO OUT INTO THE STREETS
AND INVITE WHOM YOU FIND

MATTHEW 23


SO HERE WE ARE
WALL FLOWERS OF THE LORD
THE LATE COMERS
THE PEOPLE HE INVITED
WHEN NO ONE ELSE WOULD COME
WHAT WERE SOME OF HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT HIS CHURCH
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE RULES


YOU HAVE HEARD IT WAS SAID
LOVE YOUR FRIENDS HATE YOUR ENEMIES
BUT I TELL YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU

MATTHEW 5

WHEN YOU PRAY SAY
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN
MAY YOUR NAME BE KEPT HOLY
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME
MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
GIVE US TODAY THE FOOD WE NEED
FOR GIVE US THE WRONGS THAT WE HAVE DONE
AS WE FORGIVE THE WRONGS THAT OTHERS HAVE DONE US
DO NOT BRING US TO HARD TESTING
BUT KEEP US SAFE FROM THE EVIL ONE

MATTHEW 6


IF ONE OF YOU WANTS TO BE GREAT
HE MUST BE A SERVANT OF THE REST
LIKE THE SON OF MAN
WHO DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED
BUT TO SERVE
AND GIVE HIS LIFE TO REDEEM MANY PEOPLE

MATTHEW 20

DID HE NOT KNOW WHEN HE LOOKED PETER IN THE EYE
THAT HE WAS A MAN
COULD HE NOT HEAR THE DISTANT ECHO OF COCK CROW
WAS HE NOT AWARE OF THE IMPETUOUSNESS
THAT MADE HIM WALK ON WATER
OR THE SELF DOUBTS THAT LET HIM SINK
DID HE NOT SEE
WEATHERED FACE AND WEATHERED SOUL
NO STRANGER TO OUR JOYS OR SORROW
NO SCHOLAR HE
POET MAYBE
ONE IN TUNE WITH SEA AND TIDES AND WEATHER
THE CYCLE OF SEASONS THE RUNNING OF FISH
THE PATIENCE OF THE FISHERMAN

I WONDER IF THAT'S WHY HE PICKED HIM
IF HE SAW IN HIM THE SAME WORKMAN'S PRIDE
THAT JOSEPH HAD
IF HE SAW IN PETER'S WORDS AND ACTIONS
MEMORIES OF JOSEPH
IF HE DID NOT INSTINCTIVELY TRUST HIM
A MAN MINDFUL OF HIS NETS AND BOATS
MINDFUL OF HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY
WHO WOULD BE CAREFUL OF LITTLE THINGS
THE NECESSARY UNPRETENTIOUS DOING THINGS
NOT PLAYING FOR THE BALCONY
JUST DOING HIS JOB
THIS MAN HE CHOOSE



I GIVE TO YOU THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

MATTHEW 16


PETER - DO YOU LOVE ME
FEED MY LAMBS
PETER - DO YOU LOVE ME
FEED MY SHEEP
PETER - DO YOU LOVE ME

FOLLOW ME
JOHN 21


AND YOU PETER
WOULD YOU LEAVE ME
TO WHOM WOULD I GO LORD
YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE

JOHN 6

PUSH OUT THE BOATS
AND LET DOWN YOUR NETS
BUT MASTER WE HAVE LABORED ALL NIGHT
AND CAUGHT NOTHING
BUT WE WILL TRY AGAIN

LUKE 5


I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN
I WILL MAKE YOU HARVESTERS IN THE FIELD
YOU WILL TEND THE VINE AND THE FIG TREE
THE MUSTARD SEED THE COCKLE THE WHEAT
SHALL BE YOUR CONCERN
I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN

HE'D PICKED A FISHERMAN TO WORK IN HIS GARDEN
TO TEND THE SEED HE'D PLANT IN THE SPRING
STRUCK DOWN IN THE SPRINGTIME
THRUST DOWN IN THE EARTH
PLOWED UNDER BY EVIL

HE'D PICKED A FISHERMAN TO TEND TO HIS GARDEN
TO WATCH OVER THE GROWTH OF THE SEED
FROM THE SEED TO THE PLANT
FROM PLANT TO THE FLOWER
TO THE SEED TO THE PLANT TO THE FLOWER
ALWAYS RENEWING
THROUGH CYCLE OF SEASONS
ALWAYS THE SEED DOWN THE AGES
ALWAYS THE SEED TELLING THE MESSAGE
GOD IS HE LOVES HE CARES

DOWN THE AGES ALWAYS THE MESSAGE
ALWAYS THE SEED THE PLANT OR THE FLOWER
ALWAYS THE SEED
TENDED BY GARDENERS POETS FOOLS OR BY THIEVES
ALWAYS THE SEED

IF YOU LOVE ME - KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS
I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS
I WILL SEND YOU THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
TO STAY WITH YOU FOREVER
I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS
I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS
I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DAY LIKE THIS WHEN IT ALL BEGAN

A DAY LIKE THIS WHEN WE TRIED AGAIN

Stage directions;

Poetry read by narrator.

Bible verses by various members of the congregation.

Opening verses like a Sunday psalm.