By Andy Lund
The parable of the sower and the seed presented by an Army sergeant.
Matthew 13. 1-23
Sgt Major
Little old lady
Sowing team
Sgt Major: Right, listen you horrible lot. This afternoon I am about to be giving to you a lesson. Oh, yes that's right, you shower. You're obviously in need of a lesson or two. So I have been drafted in here to give you that lesson..or two. And the lesson I am giving you is a sowing lesson.
(Little old lady comes on with piece of cloth and needle, stitching away)
Sgt Major: Er...what's this? What are you a doing of?
Little old lady: I've come to the sewing lesson. I didn't know you were the instructor. When do we begin?
Sgt Major: What are you a talking of? I am not giving sewing lessons. I am talking about sowing. With han O.
Little old lady: An O
Sgt Major: Yes han O.
Little old lady: Oh. How very disappointing. (Goes off)
Sgt Major: Right. Where was I? Yes sowing with an O. That's it. Now it his highly likely that you shower know very little about the hart of sowing, so pin back your lugholes and I shall fill you hin. I know you are of limited intelligence so I shall make it easy for you by the use of a simple illustration. (Pulls down flipchart page). Now the enemy is here, here and here. (Scratches his head. Clears throat.) As you were. That's for tomorrow's meeting at HQ. (Turns over another sheet) For successful sowing hin an hagricultural sense, you will need four commodities. I shall make it easy for you, seeing as you have limited faculties. These important commodities all begins with S. They are seed, soil, sun and…er....rain.
I can see a few glazed eyes out there. Try to stay with it. Now, number one is the seed. The seed. I can see you aren't coping with this. How can I put this across in a way you can handle. Right. We is going to do this pictorially. That is to say with pictures. And for this I shall need the hassistance of a small team of sowers.
(Little old lady appears with several more little old ladies stitching away)
Sgt Major: No! Stand stock still! About turn. March! (They file off)
Sgt Major: Sowers with han O. (They reappear without sewing) When you is sowing it is important to distribute the seed evenly. (In a co-ordinated way they mime seed distribution, elaborately to the right, left, forwards and at rear and keep doing it.) As you were! I said as you were! However, even when distributing ihin an heven way, haccidents will happen. (All grasp throats) Like, for instance, seeds can fall on hunsuitable places, such as tarmac. (Sower curls up and rolls along ground) When this hunfortunate hevent hoccurs the result is hexposure to predators, such as birds. (Other three turn into crows and devour seed with much noise). Halternatively,
the seed might be prone to falling on rock. (The 4 start mimicking a rock group, guitars etc.) As you were! Hi am referring to the quality of the henviron... henrivo... henvir.... ground. Such soil is not hadvantageous for growth and whilst quick growth can happen (they mime) it is hunlikely to be sustained. (All wither). There again, seed may fall in a hostile environment (mime gun battle) --- yes… er um.... such as thorns, which can do a lot of damage and heventually choke the life out of new growth. (One plant grows, other three crack knuckles in anticipation and then throttle it.)
Of course, the most desirable houtcome is growth. (They mime gradually growing.) And when the right conditions prevail, we can expect a yield of thirty times what was sown (one plant springs up), or even 60 (another - higher) or in the best case scenario 100 times as much (third plant really stretching).
Now have I made myself clear? (3 scratch their heads and then wander off. We see the light dawn for the last person and he/she goes off scattering seed)
© Andy Lund 1999
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This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged.
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He may be contacted at: andrew.lund@ntlworld.com