The Convo

[Setting: Office Building, Elevator Lobby. Room is furnished with green carpets, white walls and illuminated above by 4 sets of tube lights with square grating. Elevators shafts are located on both the east and west sides of the hall and a mounted flat screen tv is located on the north wall just to the left of the men’s bathroom cordoned from the lobby by glass doors with mandatory keycode access. Posters detailing upcoming activities adorn the sections of the wall between each elevator shaft above the service buttons. Glass doors accessing the main office are on the south side on the room, the side from which Tony entered. Tony is staring at the floor wistfully, ridden with angst due to unfulfilled longings for a girl he met not so long ago. Suddenly Jesus appears, wearing traditional Jewish garb dating back to the 1st century – long robe, sandals, and a rope around his waist serving as a defacto belt. Jesus has a ruddy complexion, full beard and brown shoulder length hair. His appearance is effervescent, emitting a pure glow as from light refracted off a white crystal ]

Director: Cue sad music with violins

Jesus: I need you to let go

[Tony is startled and moves to shield his eyes from the light]

Tony: What the......? Let go? Whatchu talking bout Willis? Who dat?

Jesus: Jesus Christ the Most High, Son of God come in the flesh and coming again to judge the world

Tony:.......word? Well, look son, what you mean let go, let go of what?

Jesus: Let go of your forcible desire to procure a relationship. Your preoccupation with such

Tony: I cant let go, I cant. I don’t want to fathom a world without love, to even entertain that macabre possibility. I have to fall in love with someone – and someone HAS to fall in love with me! There is no alternative, this is the only path for life, life in its purest form; Life in its totality.

Jesus: What about those for whom life is cut short, those widowed, those celibate for the sake of the Gospel of my Kingdom, those who never marry for divers reasons?

Tony: .......

Jesus: Do these have a substandard or qualitatively inferior life than that which you aspire to? Have these never lived? Will they die unfulfilled? Is their life without purpose?

Tony: now I aint say all that son! I mean, they can do what they do you know what Im saying.....but Im just saying for me, I just need a wife! Understand?

Jesus: I understand that you are clinging so tightly to your myopic perspective of love that it has skewed all objectivity. This is dangerously close to becoming an idol for you, my child.

Tony: Everyone wants love, it’s instinctual!

Jesus: But to pursue this desire, any desire to the exclusion of all else is a recipe for disappointment. I have created life with many facets, and love (especially erotic love) is just one of them. Another facet is service to your fellow neighbor, another piety, another producing works to aid in usefulness in society, and another is education, another upholding justice and caring for the poor. These are all values and ethics that I have given you a natural desire for as well. What of these?

Tony: Im saying dough, Imma get to that once you give me that fine woman I've been praying about!

Jesus: And this is precisely what I just referred to. You are losing touch with sensibility, Tony. You must see that failure to live a well rounded life in pursuit of virtues will automatically disqualify you from attaining a wife. You cant get a wife if you don't have a basic understanding of virtues and the proper role of love in betwixt all of these.

Tony: NAH SON, NAH!! WHAT YOU SAYIN SON? WHAT YOU SAYING SON? HUH

[Tony begins to lunge at Jesus, but Jesus raises his hand and renders Tony motionless]

Jesus: Tony, a woman will be repulsed by a man who cannot contribute utilitarian value to society, hold a job, or provide proper discipline and tutelage to his child. A man who cant balance a checkbook, who brazenly overlooks opportunities to work, or administer fairness in this world, a man who lacks piety –if you seek a woman after my heart.

[Jesus holds his hand up again, allowing Tony to speak]

Tony: But I don't get it, I didn’t say I didn't want to be an all around good dude, dawg.

Jesus: But you didn’t say you did, either.

Tony: What are you saying?

Jesus: Focus on me, focus on being a better man. Trust me, I know how badly you want to get married. I know how badly you want passionate, sensual, nurturing love.

Tony: ......

Jesus: But you wont be able to appreciate that love if you don't work on actualizing all the potential as man I imbued you with. Be the man I called you to be. Get active in church, practice honesty, integrity, and service to the poor. Discipline your flesh, abstain from sinful behavior.

Tony: .....

Jesus: Then, and only then will you be at peace with yourself. You will achieve the peace I always intended for you to have as a righteous man. And that peace will be so evident that it will attract people to you that you never even knew existed.

Tony: But why cant I want love the way I want it now? Is that so bad?

[An angel of the Lord appears with his sword raised (invisible to Tony), intent on killing Tony for his disregard of Jesus’ previous words. But Jesus stays his sword and the angel departs]

Jesus: Because of your anxiety. It shows you don’t trust me, it shows you don't trust yourself. And no one wants to be with someone that doesn’t trust themselves, or have any direction or accomplishments.

Tony: What do you want me to do?

Jesus: Let go, and trust me. Trust that I have fashioned a special help-mate (before the world was created) for you that will be revealed in my timing. That I have taken over the reins of the match-making buggy of your life and you can just focus your energy on being a decent guy.

Tony: But what if I cant do that?
[Jesus disappears]

Tony: HEY, HEY BUDDY!!!! WHAT IF I CANT DO THAT? HEEEEEEEEEEY!! JESSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS? COME BACK HERE BUDDY!!
HEY, HEY!!!

[END]