| Man |
So, these are them? |
| J |
These are they. |
| Man |
Not very pearly, are they, as gates go… |
| J |
It’s a figure of speech. (PAUSE) |
| Man |
So? |
| J |
So, now we judge. |
| Man |
Right. |
| J |
We’re not looking for perfection - well, no, we are looking for perfection,
but we know we won’t find it, so, instead, we’re looking for consistency. |
| Man |
Consistency? |
| J |
Some sense of possibility - some sense of having given it a try - some
sense of having paid attention, and done something about it. You follow? |
| Man |
Sort of. |
| J |
I know. (PAUSE) So, lets have a look at the Ten Tests, shall we? |
| Man |
Ten… Tests? |
| J |
The Ten things the Boss told everybody. Let’s see how you did. |
| Man |
Oh… okay. |
| J |
So, Number One: Putting God First, All The Time… |
| Man |
(Confident) Right! |
| J |
… And Not Just On Sunday Morning For An Hour-and-a half. |
| Man |
(Not so confident) Right… |
| J |
Number Two: Not Worshipping Anything Else… |
| Man |
Well, I… |
| J |
Obviously, we’re not talking about football teams, or popular music, or
Gwyneth Paltrow - you’re supposed to be in the world around you… |
| Man |
(Sigh of relief) |
| J |
But not of it - not going along with the crowd quite so often … |
| Man |
Ah. |
| J |
Exactly. What’s been really important to you all these years? What would
you sacrifice everything for? What did you sacrifice everything for? |
| Man |
I had my responsibilities…! |
| J |
Yes, yes, you did. (PAUSE) Number Three: Not Taking His Name In Vain… |
| Man |
I was very careful about that… |
| J |
Not claiming, for example, that the only reason you did something, or said
something, was because you were Serving The Lord. |
| Man |
I… never… |
| J |
Telling the minister those things ‘In Love’ - ‘For His Own Good’ - ‘Because
You Thought He Ought To Know’… Hmmm… Number Four: Keeping One Day A Week
Set Aside For God’ |
| Man |
Okay, it’s not looking great so far… |
| J |
Number Five: Showing Respect, Care, and Honour for The People Who Brought
You Up. Actually, this one you were quite good at, up to a point. |
| Man |
And that helps? |
| J |
It all helps - that’s what we’ve always been saying. Try - just try. |
| Man |
I did. |
| J |
We know. Number Six: Not Deliberately Killing Anyone… |
| Man |
Right. |
| J |
… And Not Giving It Any Serious Thought. |
| Man |
Right… |
| J |
Number Seven: Not Having Sex With Anyone You Aren’t Actually Married To…
(PAUSE) … And Not Giving It Any Serious Thought. Number Eight: Not Taking
Anything That Doesn’t Belong To You, Ever, At All, And Not Giving It Any
Serious Thought… |
| Man |
It’s that last bit that gets me, every time… |
| J |
We know. Number Nine: Not Lying About Other People, Especially If It Works
To Your Advantage, And Not Giving It Any Serious Thought. Number Ten: Not
Wanting Anything That Someone Else Has Got, And Not Giving It Any Thought
At All. Worldly values, again. |
| Man |
But you don’t know how difficult it was…! |
| J |
We do, and we knew it at the time. Never forget - we were there. |
| Man |
Well, it didn’t always feel like it. |
| J |
(Sigh) Yeah. We know. (PAUSE) |
| Man |
Well? |
| J |
Follow me - we need to talk… |
