Magyar Egyház, 1967 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1967-08-01 / 8-9. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 Truly, Truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go. (John 21:18) (SCENE: In a widow’s home in Rome, at night, near the end of Nero’s reign.) First servant: Come on, now. Let’s go on! Second servant: Seven! First servant: Six! Second servant: Four! First servant: Six! Second servant: Seven! (Knocking at the gate.) First servant: Strike! Second servant: Three! (Louder knocking.) First servant: Hey! Someone’s knocking out there. Annie, go see who it is. Second servant: Three! First servant: Two! Second servant: This is my unlucky day! First servant: No brains today and none tomorrow either. Annie (nervously) : I think the old man’s out there. First servant: Can’t be. Second servant: Be careful! May be a spy or a fraud. The old man got away yesterday. Annie: He wanted to come in but I wouldn’t let him. (More knocking.) First servant: Who in the world’s trying to pass himself off as the old man? Take another peek, Annie. Annie: Not me! Xanthippe: What’s wrong out there? Does your silly game make you deaf? Those boys distract each other with their babbling. First servant: Yes, Gracious Lady, we heard it; we heard it quite clearly. Annie, what did the stranger say? Annie: He said, he’s the old man. Xanthippe: Peter! Annie: Looks like him but it’s dark outside. (Impatient knocking.) Xanthippe: Hurry up and open the gate. Second servant: But, Gracious Lady . . . Xanthippe: Hurry, hurry . . . (Hurrying footsteps, creaking gate, approaching footsteps . ..) Xanthippe: Father! Peter (brightly) : Just like twenty years ago, in Jerusalem, at Eastertime. Then too they didn’t want to let me in to see Mark’s mother, Mary. A little girl spoke to me nervously through a crack in the gate. I told her an angel appeared in my cell, unshackled me, led me through three lines of guards to freedom. She screamed and ran back into the house and left me standing in the middle of the moon lit street, the city roused round about me. I heard the hesitant debating of the congregation on the roof-top . . . they had given me up for dead. Since early morning they had been praying for me but none believed that I would escape. Annie, your eyes also sparkled through the open crack just as did the eyes of Rhoda of Jerusalem. I still remember the little girl’s name. Xanthippe: Please, father, this doesn’t seem to be the time for reminiscing. What are you doing here? Why did you return? Whom are you trying to save? Peter: Myself. I’ve returned for good. I will spend this night in your home, Xanthippe, for this day of all days I have plenty of time for reminiscing, yes, a great deal of time. Tomorrow may be too late. Has your son arrived yet? Xanthippe: Yes, he did. With a friend. Father, for heaven’s sake ... Peter: Wonderful, indeed, that I may see him once again. While walking along the Via Appia this afternoon I was saddened by the thought that I would miss him, that I might never see him again. Xanthippe: Let’s go upstairs. They’re resting after their tiresome journey. He’ll surely rejoice to see you again, if only . . . Peter: Only joy will reign hereafter, Xanthippe. (Diminishing, then increasing sound of footsteps.) Flavius Clemens: Father, what are you doing in Rome? Mother told me you had escaped! Peter: The peace and blessings of the Lord be with you! Flavius Clemens: Amen. Father, this is my friend Linus. Linus: I am most happy to meet you in person. In Hispánia, Paul and I often spoke of you. Peter: Is he still there? Linus: Six weeks ago he was in Barcino. He was waiting for a ship. Peter: And maybe another shipwreck. It’ll be about the tenth, I think. He attracts storms, but he conquers them, too. Flavius Clemens: Father, you speak as though he were the fisherman. You’re the one who knows the tides. Peter: But I was afraid on water... even when I had nothing to fear. Linus: On the ocean? Peter: No. At home, in Galilee. My father, brother and I owned a small fishing fleet on Lake Gennesaret. One night a sudden squall rendered us hopeless. Then He appeard on the water. At first we thought it was an apparition. I bellowed into the wailing wind: Lord, if that be you then command me to approach you on the water! He beckoned me and I leaped over the edge of the barque and started toward Him over the raging billows, but the buffeting winds filled me with sudden terror. It’s not He, I thought, no, it’s not He. It must be some evil spirit, a servant of the storm. As my heart hesitated I began to sink. Why didn’t He extend His hand . . . why . . . why? Had He not given me His hand, I would have sunk. Linus: And if Paul had been in your place? Peter: Paul. That would have been different. He would have taken his sword and topped the waves just to reach Him faster. Flavius Clemens: You cut off the servant’s ear . . . Peter: Because I didn’t have time to get scared. And besides, I was dead tired and really didn’t know whether I was coming or going. During the Passover we were in hiding, sleeping and watching in turns, in a friend’s olive grove, up to the time the Lord was betrayed by a Judean. (to be continued in next issue)
