ACT ONE - THE SQUARE

Scene Three - JESUS OF NAZARETH

(Sunrise. Jesus of Nazareth and his followers begin to appear over the edge of the eastern slope at the edge of the square. Jesus is the first to appear, and for a moment, his head is framed in the rising sun, and startles the Rasan agents. The blind, old seer, who is sitting there, rises to his feet. Jesus climbs over the edge and stands before the old man, followed by the others.)

JESUS: Shalom, peace be with you, brother. What are you doing here at this early hour?

TERESH: I have been here many years, on this mountain of seers, waiting for dawn, waiting for the rising of the true sun. Not the false dawn of evil days which blinded my eyes. I wait the dawn of the new age of humankind. I trust that my Savior will pass by this way on his coming to redeem the world. This is the spot he will come through when he comes to make all things new ... even my old bones and my blind eyes. When he comes, I shall know. My eyes will see his glory.

JESUS: Too long, old man, you've let yourself be blind, expecting a miraculous Savior to descend from the clouds of heaven. The sun has risen, the time of redemption is the present. Let me touch your eyes.

(Jesus goes near the blind, old man and puts the palms of his hands on the old man's eyes. The old man trembles in anticipation.)

JESUS: Now. Look at me! Open your eyes to see the world! Believe in me, and you will see.

(With hesitation, the old man opens his eyes, and to his amazement, he is indeed able to look at the world)

TERESH: I can see ... Yes, I can see ... My Savior!

(Teresh falls on his knees to kiss the feet of Jesus, muttering deliriously.)

TERESH: Yes, see ... my Savior ... salvation ... Messiah... the emissary spoke true ... I am healed ... I am saved.

(A crowd of students begins to assemble. It is as though they had all been watching and waiting in the wings, ready to spring on stage to acknowledge Jesus' performance. Actually they are on their way to class.)

JESUS: No one saves you, but yourself. You already had eyes that could see, but you were not ready to use them. I am only the way, and you have to make your own steps. You are what I Am, the son of our Father in Heaven who helped you heal yourself. I was but an instrument of his love for you.

(The noise and excitement of the crowd builds as more and more students push to see what is happening. Starting with a few words, here and there, a more unified demand is soon uttered.)

VOICES FROM THE CROWD: - We too want to hear ...

Tell us what you know ...

Teach us too ...

Teach us ...

Teach us!

(Jesus mounts a fountain nearby, so that all can see and hear him better. From below, he seems to stand on the water. The excitement mounts as he begins to speak.)

JESUS: Dear sisters, dear brothers - behold the light. The light has been re-discovered in this blind man. You have seen the power of the light to heal blindness. It is within you all, this light and power. Only those who have experienced the light can know what agony it is to be blind. Listen to my words to know the way to the light. You are yourselves still blind, and the teachers that are supposed to guide you are ignorant of this. If the blind lead the blind, both are certain to fall into a pit. Be honest with yourselves, admit that you come to this place seeking the light. But you have been offered only blindness instead. Is there anyone who can see and tell where, and in front of whom, you now stand?

VOICES FROM THE CROWD: - At the University ...

In the square ...

In front of you ...

Who are you? ...

Are you the Messiah? ...

JESUS: Yes, you stand at the University, in the square, and in front of me. But your minds have been so blinded by its diversions you cannot see the Universe-city. Open your eyes! Really open them! Look! Each of you stands at the center of the universe, and each of you stands in front of your Father, the Creator of the universe. Right here and now! Each time you are being truly here and now, you possess the light of true knowledge. You are the light - each time YOU ARE. Each time YOU ARE, you know eternity. In His eternal Being, the Creator loves you! This is what you seek in Being, love, and the light of true knowledge. Why else do you think you come here, to this Universe-city?

(Voice after voice shouts one banality after another, repeating by rote what's been taught, with no regard to what Jesus has been saying.)

VOICES FROM THE CROWD: We wanted to study a discipline ...

We want to learn a profession ...

We want to make a living ...

We want to improve ourselves ...

We want to expand our minds ...

We want to learn ...

JESUS: That's fine, but trite, that's not the truth. You're so blinded by fear and diversity that the truth escapes you. You came to the University looking only for diversion, driven only by a part of you, striving to hord and exploit whatever fragments of some divided discipline you needed in order to get ahead. And you accommodated yourselves to this Tower of Babel of scientific divisions, each hoping to grab a brick of it to shore the inner security you have lost. in. You are not growing in true knowledge, because you want to pick only the fruit of the tree of knowledge. You learn for selfish aims, in order to earn some advantage over your brothers and sisters. You care nothing for the tree itself, and who made it. This is the truth, is it not?

VOICES FROM THE CROWD: You're right ...

It's true ...

But how else can we get by in the world?

What other choice do we have?

We didn't make the system, we just abide by it ...

We don't have a choice ...

There's nothing we can do about it ...

We are preoccupied ...

Our minds are occupied ...

We're oppressed, that's what we are ...

What are we supposed to do?

JESUS: The abundant kingdom of God is within you, yet you are all so full of fears and worries that you feel preoccupied, insecure and oppressed. Why do you live as if under an alien occupation? Do the animals feel insecure and oppressed? No! They aren't worried about where their next meal will come from. He who sustains all creation, will also provide for you, provided you believe. Believe in me and He will make you free, and show you the true light. Learn to act in love and wholeness, and you will be loved and made whole. You will be given everything. Now, do you want to know the secret, the secret of true knowledge, and light, and everlasting sustenance? Well, do you?

VOICES FROM THE CROWD: Yes, rabbi, yes ...

Please tell us ...

We want to know ...

We want to know ...

We want to know ...

JESUS: Then listen well, Here is your key:

When you make the two one,

And when you make the inner as the outer

And the outer as the inner

And the above as the below,

And when you make the male and the female into one,

So that the male will not be just male

And the female not be just female.

When you make eyes in the place of an eye,

And a hand in the place of a hand

And a foot in the place of the feet,

And an image in the place of an image

Then nothing will be hidden

That shall not be revealed to you.

Then you shall, inside this world

Enter the city of heaven.

VOICES FROM THE CROWD (echoing the previous rhythms :

What does it mean?

I do not understand a thing ...

What a confusion ...

I can't follow ...

He must explain. Let's ask him ...

Ask what? Who can understand him?

Baraba can ...

Yes, he is so outspoken, he can ...

Yes, Baraba can, he can ask for us ...

Baraba! Where is Baraba?

Baraba!

Baraba!

Baraba!

(A student pushes his way through the crowd to confront Jesus. It is Baraba. He is tall and confident, inspiring, a born leader, with wild eyes, a scraggly beard, and a long, lean face. Jesus stares at him, trying to make him out, with a look that says "If I can reach you, I can reach all the rest.")

BARABA: You say that you want to show us the way to knowledge and light, which you claim is the true way. But what about our teachers, the Parshans? They would claim the same? Shall we abandon their teachings in favor of yours? At least we understand theirs.

JESUS: You understand theirs because they teach you nothing. Do they practice what they preach? Does their teaching give you life? Has it enabled you to understand life's secret?

BARABA: No. It seems that mostly they love their titles and positions, and their minds are nailed to their chairs, and their spirit is under the rein of the Rasans. No, their teachings haven't exactly revealed the secret of life and of the universe. But then, neither have yours.

JESUS: Then be your own teachers. Before you set out to cast the mote from the eye of the pupil, first cast it out of the pupil of the teacher. Your Parshan teachers have not done it for you. Beware of their hypocrisy. Seek only the true light, no matter how hard it is to understand.

BARABA: Maybe you are right. And then we're the blind being led by the blind. So what can we do about that? Maybe we should seek the true light, but how do we go about it? Where shall we find this true knowledge? We are surrounded only by a maze of buildings.

(Jesus points to a castle-like, pink University building standing a little aloof from the wall-like main Univer­sity complex. All eyes are on him and follow where he is pointing.)

JESUS: There is another way. Look at this building before you. I can see that it was built to be a place for studying peace and wholeness - shalom - for the benefit of all the world. But I can also see that, since it was constructed, it has never really served this purpose. Like the rest of the buildings, it has been used for endless studies which lead nowhere, and breed division. The only cause these buildings have ever served is the Rasanal pre-occupation. (pause) But let's not dwell on this, or you'll miss what is really important. What is past is dead. Instead, think about the living words you have just heard, about the secret of true knowledge. I know that the words are difficult to understand, but try, for whoever is alive to the meaning of these words will not taste death, in any of its disguises, intellectual as well as bodily. My words contain the key to the locked doors within you. Throw out your worries! Have faith! Have love! Open the doors! Believe in me and the key shall be yours. Give me your hands and your hearts and minds, and I'll share with you this power. You shall have the strength to see and the strength to Be! Come! Join in!

(Jesus descends from the fountain, and stretches out his hands. His disciples come to him at once. Two of them grab his right hand, then two others lock hands with his left hand in a similar fashion. The other eight disciples then hold the free hands of the four in the same pattern. Thus form chains that can be extended.)

JESUS: Come, all of you. Join us! Our hands are stretched out to you! Join us! Come and open to our power, and it will be yours too! You will not experience insecurity and oppression any longer, only love! Love shall make you free! And when you are free, you'll have true knowledge and light. The love of the Lord will illuminate your life, day and night. Don't be afraid!

(Then, as though he were standing apart from it all, watching it happen, yet part of it and making it happen, Jesus draws the students to him. They come forward and grab the hands of the disciples, causing the pattern to grow rapidly. Soon it becomes full of rings of six, and sometimes five or seven, people, and the grid keeps growing outward. By necessity, in each ring, some face inward and some face outward to adjoining rings. In the center of it all, Jesus begins to move his hands slowly up and down, and his movements send ripples of movement and energy throughout the others. Some start to shake and some start to chant, and others to sing, but the stable structure they have formed holds its shape. Hands rise and fall, faster and faster, and waves of energy grow in response........

When the energy seems almost uncontrollable, Jesus begins to rotate very slowly in his pivotal position counter­clockwise. The rotation is passed on to the others and spreads outward, as they all begin to rotate counter­clockwise faster and faster. Eventually the outer rings have to run around wildly, as fast as possible. Jesus seems in a trance, and obli­vious to the velocity, as he whirls faster and faster....

As the velocity builds up, the outer rings of students begin to tear apart from the rotating structure, yet they keep rotating around themselves in a circle. As more rings are torn, Jesus increases the speed of his whirling, which causes more and more rings to be torn and start rotating separately. The centrifugal force, as well as the friction between the circles, causes the whole thing to expand outward, till only the disciples are left rotating with Jesus........

While all this is going on, Baraba moves from group to group shouting "Now is the time to act!", and he receives positive encouragement. At the moment when all the students have been torn apart from Jesus, Baraba seizes upon the opportunity and pushes his way through the crowd, which is pulsating with energy, once again to speak from center stage:)

BARABA: He's right about the blind leading the blind! Let's put an end to it now! Liberation Now! Blind no more! Let's show them who we are! The secret of true knowledge is to take matters into our own hands! Are you with me? Let's liberate the University right now! Let's take it! It belongs to us! Liberate the University!

(Baraba's words are echoed throughout the crowd of students, who quickly become hysterical, and rush to the building to which Jesus pointed earlier. Soon all manner of things are thrown out of the windows - chairs and desks and office equipment and laboratory equipment, etc. Then there is silence, and after a short time, a hand­made, crude banner appears hanging from one of the windows, declaring the liberation of the University....

While this is going on, Jesus is standing there watching, shocked by what is happening, surrounded by his disciples. He looks very tired and forlorn.)

JESUS: This is not what I intended. The power we generated and passed to them has been misdirected. Now they're like children caught up in a game. Nothing can be done about them now. We must go back to the desert and renew our energies, and return at a more propitious time. I hope they won't come to harm in needless confrontation with the authorities. Let us pray for their safety.

(Jesus and his disciples kneel and pray. It is a short prayer. As they prepare to leave, Jesus approaches Judith)

JESUS: Dear Judith, you are the city girl among us. You are the closest to them. Stay here and do what you can to see that they don't come to any harm.

JUDITH: Yes Master, I'll do what you said.

(Jesus and the disciples leave. Judith goes dutifully towards the "liberated" building. The lights dim..... Then spotlights drift to the right front stage and focus on the two agents, who are hiding in the dark there. They look in the direction of the building, and what is going on there, oblivious of a shadowy figure who has crawled to hide behind them, also watching what is happening.)

SHORT AGENT: What the hell are we doing here, hiding and just making recordings... We should be out there, breaking the heads of those hooligans. Why are we, the Rasans, the restrainers, ourselves restrained? Sometimes I just don't understand headquarters. We might have been able to prevent this whole thing, if we weren't ourselves restrained from taking any action. Now, we'd better alert headquarters to send the riot-squad. This must be crushed before it spreads.

TALL AGENT: Perhaps, before you alert headquarters, the university authorities and the Parshans should be given an opportunity to try to put their own house in order.

SHORT AGENT: If they start talking with those hooligans, it'll end up with some compromise. Next thing you know, every disgruntled idiot in the streets will be rioting for some assumed rights. No, this thing must be crushed at once, the harsher, the better.

(The Short Agent starts talking into his wrist-watch transmitter. The Tall Agent produces from his bag a small telephone and plugs it into a socket installed by the side of a small stone bench nearby.)

TALL AGENT: Operator, Point Plato calling. This is a code 17 emergency. Get me the Great Parshan. Now!.... Hello. Yes. Yes. Look! Your place is in a mess, you have a riot in progress at your University. The students have taken over one of the buildings.... Yes, headquarters is being alerted now.... No, I can't do that.... I know you need time to negotiate with them, but there isn't any time, the riot-squad must be on its way already.... I understand, but I can't do anything.... Yes. Yes... but haven't you been saying that time does not exist? there is no time now.... No. I'm sorry, but you will have to do something quickly to turn these kids around.... Yes, but I've just seen this Jesus do exactly that.... Yes, he was here, and he did it in just ten minutes.... Okay, so it's not the same thing.... Yes. Yes.... Well do your best, and do it now!

SHORT AGENT: There's that girl again. The one we saw talking to the old man, and then with Jesus and his disciples, just before it started. She must be one of them. What's she up to now?

TALL AGENT: It looks like she's trying to reason with the students. They motioned her to join, but they've become impatient with her. She doesn't seem to be getting anywhere with them.

SHORT AGENT: Some character, this Jesus, sending a girl to clean up after him! While he scapers with his cronies. Look. The Parshans have arrived. That was quick, but I doubt that they'll have any better luck than the girl.

(Few elderly, distinguished-looking men rush to the University building and begin calling for the students. Initially nobody pays any attention, but soon some heads appear in the windows.)

ONE OLD PARSHAN: Students, disperse! What do you think you are doing? You are putting us all in danger, to no purpose. This will get you nowhere. Leave the building now, and we shall guarantee your safety. We can discuss this whole matter later, but you must stop now.

(He is greeted with jeers and rude remarks.)

ANOTHER OLD PARSHAN: Don't be foolish. The riot-squad is on its way, and will arrive any moment, and when they do, it will be too late! If you stop now, and go home, we will forget that it ever happened. You have my word. So leave now!

(His voice is drowned out by sirens, not that anyone was paying attention to him. He stands there helplessly, looks at the other Parshan, and throws his hands up. They are both old and beaten.... The Rasan riot squad arrives: helmeted, gas-masked, club-swinging men, who stream from the front of the stage. They are a marvel of efficiency, and as they deploy, a chorus in the background is heard singing, to the melody of "Onward Christian Soldiers".)

CHORUS: Onward Rasan soldiers - marching as to war -

Crush the band of Jesus - nail them to the cross.

Rush on into battle - each one break a head -

Feed them Rasanality - better fed than dead.

Hurry to the scene men - with your clubs of light.

Rush to crush the students - show them might is right.

(The riot squad pitches tear gas grenades into the windows of the building to flush the students out. When the students rush out, crying and coughing, they are caught and beaten, hand cuffed and dragged away. Then the riot squad rushes the building and drives the rest of the students out, coughing and in tears. The students who are not caught, are running around screaming. One of them is Baraba, the one who started the whole thing. He is clubbed to the ground, beaten and dragged away. Then all is suddenly quiet. There is blood everywhere on the ground. Students try to disperse, chased by the raiders who catch, club and handcuff most of them.)

TALL AGENT: We'd better get hold of that girl before they do. It would be good to be able to interrogate her. There are many things I would like to find out from her.

SHORT AGENT: You'd better hurry!

(The two agents run and push a man from the riot squad away from Judith before he can club her. Then just as they are about to close on her, a young man springs from behind where they were, pulls her out of their reach, and runs with her. The two agents follow in hot pursuit, and soon trap the two against a wall, where they seem to huddle, the young man facing the wall doing something frantically, while Judith looks at the chasers in terror. The Tall Agent hesitates for a moment, then stops the short one from proceeding. And then it's too late. An opening appears in the wall, and Judith and the young man pass into it and disappear. When the agents get to the wall, they discover a door, which the young man has opened, closed and locked behind him.)

SHORT AGENT: Damn it! Why did you stop me?

TALL AGENT: Hunter's prerogative, I guess. I wanted to savor my prey. Anyway, she won't escape for long.

SHORT AGENT: What makes you so damn sure that we'll be able to find her?

TALL AGENT: A pretty girl is hard to hide. And a pretty girl is actually easier to get than a homely one. She's sure to leave a trail. We'll be able to hunt her down. I did want to talk to her, but clearly there's more involved here than what I want. Why else would headquarters have restrained us to just watching and recording? They must have their own hunter's prerogative.

SHORT AGENT: I sure hope for your sake that headquarters sees it that way.

TALL AGENT: They will, don't worry. They must have a plan, otherwise they would have acted sooner. And if they don't, maybe I can come up with one for them. In either event, you'll see, we'll get a commendation.

SHORT AGENT: When I see it, I'll believe it.

(The lights dim)