SKIT: (Seated on the bed, mother is reading a bedtime story to the children, a boy and a girl. It is from the Bible, from the book of Genesis chapter one and verses one onwards.)
Boy: Mummy, What you read just now, is it true?
Mom: What?
Boy: You read that God created the world and found it to be good!!!!
Mom: Yes! God saw it was good.
Boy: Mom, you must be joking.
Mom: No my son. God’s every creation is good. In fact when he created human beings he found them to be not only good but also BEAUTIFUL.
Boy: How can that be? I can’t believe. Can’t you just see around? All that is happening is only frightening and disturbing me.
Mom: But son, you don’t really understand what is what?
Boy: Mom, aren’t things as clear as the day’s sky. Why you are so much afraid to let us be on our own even on holidays. If we are late a few minutes from the school, you get so upset and start looking for us. If we live in such a beautiful world why are we afraid of so many things that happen around us.
Mom: You are right. The world is different now. It is no more what it was.
Boy: There you are. God must be a fool to play pranks with us, poor human beings. He digs a hole in the atmosphere and allows all to be scotched to death. As if that is not enough he lets the water to dry up that soon we might all be fighting for a cup of drinking water.
Mom: You are absolutely right my boy. But is God responsible for all this?.
Boy: Mom, that is awful to hear. There is that all-powerful God who is the master of All and you come to defend him. Who then is responsible for all that is happening to the human beings.
Mom: Surely not God.
Boy: Then what is that God doing when the world is killing one other. You did not want Justina and me to watch those gory instances that are relayed on the T.V. about the wars. There seems to be no ending to it at all. We have witnessed many killings in Gujarat, in Srilanka, the bombings in various places and so on. Why even the local news papers carry pages after pages of information On suicides by youth and children, killings that are part and parcel of the day, rapes and child abuses etc... Please mom never ever say that this world is good and any one found in it to be beautiful.
Mom: You are right in all that you said. The world is no more a secure place for anyone. It is no more what is was destined to be. It has lost all its charm and beauty. But God is not responsible for it. It is we the human beings who are to be blamed.
Boy: We…how?
Mom: By the misuse of the freedom that was given to us we have created this havoc. Because of selfishness, greed, jealously, power and money of a few people the beautiful world is torn apart as rich and poor, black and white, high and low caste, educated and uneducated. It is man-made misery and self- imposed evil on us.
Boy: Mom as you say if it is man made can we not do away with all this and live a happy life.
Mom: That is possible too. If you could as a child and a student dream of a world where there will be no more corruption, injustice, inequality, cheating and suffering and start working and moving towards it, will be possible at least for the next generation. Surely you could live in a world that is just, happy, Peace loving, friendly, good and beautiful. Yes with you a new world will happen. A just world will emerge. A beautiful world is possible. Because you are the world….You are the future… you are the ones who Will make it better….
Compiled by: Sr. Jane SJC