Station 1: Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep

STATION 1: Mary Don’t You Weep 

Cast:
Pastor Caiaphus
Mrs. Caiaphus
Mary
Mary’s friend
Church deacon
Usher, other clergy
Policemen

Synopsis:
A Sunday morning, summer of 1955. Birmingham, Alabama at Sadducees Baptist Church, a mid-size church with couple of hundred members is in full swing. Pastor Caiaphus is in the midst of a commemorative sermon opening the church’s week-long ‘Community Jubilee’ celebration.

Outside, Mary hears the music and stops. She is transfixed by something, and enters the sanctuary, leaving her friends baffled on the walk. The all-white congregation is scandalized by her entrance; the service is interrupted and the ‘disturbance’ is dealt with. Pastor Caiaphus uses the opportunity to bolster his flock.

Mary: Those roses … didn’t your mother tend them, Sarah?
Girl (Sarah?): Yeah. Look at ‘em. Uh, where YOU goin?
Mary: Its Jubilee Week. I want to go in. Sounds so pretty. Look at this building. Our church could fit right inside it.
(Girl): Quit playing, Mary. Get off that grass. Mary! Oh, I see, you still going to those Jesus meetings, ain’t you? You trying to get me in trouble?
Mary: Its Sunday. Its Jubilee … (heads to the door, as her friends stand stunned). I know God is with me. I’ll see yall later.
Friend: Mary!
Mary: Are you coming with me? …
(there is silence. Then she enters and her friend departs. Inside, the sermon …)

Pastor Caiaphus: … So, we’re gonna end with song now, but we want to sing our best, look our best, bring our offerings. This is the week to celebrate our glory, the bounty the Lord has assured us! Hallelujah?
Congregation: Hallelujah! Yes!
Pastor C: God brought the people, and we will lead them to the Way this week.
Never saw so many hunger for the Way here today, so many visitors, and more are coming in town for the Jubilee. There has been no turning them away from what’s rightfully theirs. No troublemakers can stop this, no matter how many newspaper letter they write. I--
Mrs. C: (standing and clapping). Amen!
(Mary enters behind her. She calmly walks down the aisle, headed for an available seat near the front)
Usher: (walking swiftly down the aisle toward Mary, hissing below the sermon): What in the world are you doin’ here, girl? We’re having our church service …
(Mary sees her, but takes a seat anyway)
Mary: I am here for service, yes.
Usher: You can’t sit down there!
Mary: Why not? Is this not a house of the Lord?
Usher: Well—you have your own church, right? What’s this all about?
Mary: I am free to worship the Lord in his House (commotion ensues).
Pastor C: What is this? Please explain yourself girl.
Mrs. C: Now, what IS this? Its rude, I know that. Answer, please!
Mary: Jesus says Love your neighbor as yourself … I love you as I love myself. That’s why I’m here. I was told the Church should be free of hate and discrimination.
Usher: Stop talking. Now leave before we have to put you out.
Mary: I have a right to be here. I know that. The roses out front … they have a right to be here. Well so do I.
Pastor C: Are you trying to be one of those so-called activists in here? Is that what you doin’? Because if you’re not well, we’ll find your folks. But don’t bring that stuff in here or—
Mary: Jesus didn’t make me come in here. Jesus made me see I had a right to come here!
Pastor C: So you tryin’ to make a point huh? (he walks down from the pulpit)
Mary (aloud and looking for a seat; struggles to stay between the pews…): Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also … Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Pastor: Stop that! Stop trying to use the Bible to defend your evil ways gal! Get her on outta here somebody.
(Mary digs her feet into the floor, more deacons come).
Mary: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted (she curls into a ball as much as she can against grabbing hands; she breaks away and runs to the pulpit, kneeling tightly the Cross).
Mrs. C: (standing now, agitated and moving around, not knowing whether to
approach Mary or stand off) Well, I never!
Mary (kneeling and resisting): Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth … (louder in struggle) BLESSED ARE THEY which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. (In the arms of the deacons) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy! They shall obtain mercy! Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Usher or Deacon: I don’t think you’re listening. Somebody gimme a hand … Y’all can’t be in here and you know it, now GET UP ... GET UP!
Pastor C: Run go get sheriff somebody; this has gone on long enough. I don’t want to have to come down there myself. I will not have service disrupted any longer!
Mary (frozen in place, covered by hands so much she cannot be seen): Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God (and she is pulled off her feet, falls limp, and dragged). Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven ... (she grabs at a Jubilee rose attached to a pew). Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mrs. C: Haven’t I trapped to help the colored youth? You act like your with that group in town, but no good will come of it. Your parents know you’re here gal? Look at me!
Mary (looks at her): Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven (backs away as the police enter)--for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you… (The police are confused, then immediately rush after her.)
Mary: I forgive you. I forgive you! (screaming with some fear) I FORGIVE YOU!
(There is struggle in the background; the pastor asked the congregation to ignore it.)
Pastor C: Well, if it ain’t just like God to send us a sign when we need it. Ain’t this just—(Mary breaks away again, from the police). GAL YOUR DISOBEDIENCE WILL BE ANSWERED BY GOD.
Mary (resisting arrest by going limp): I’m supposed to be here! I’m supposed to do this. Look, I’m a Christian, too (raises her cross necklace to the congregation, to the cops, but she is handcuffed and dragged out the front door, her legs hit with clubs until they bend. She cries, she weeps.) I FORGIVE YOU!

(there is murmuring throughout the congregation then it quiets and pauses)
 
Pastor C: … Uh have a seat, the Devil is at work, we know that ... Shut the doors! She’s where she’s supposed to be for a stunt like that: on her way to jail! Amen?
Congregation: Amen!
Pastor C: Makes perfect sense that this happened on our day of Jubilee … don’t you think? How very convenient (there is rustling to seats).
Mrs. C: You were talking about the Jubilee fund-raiser tomorrow night, Pastor?
Pastor C: Uh—wait a minute. God put something else on my mind … David
Livingstone … Anyone heard of him? The great missionary to Africa? No? Well, he SAID IT! He was no man of God, but he knew God! He said: "God made the white man white because he wanted him white, and he wants him kept white. God made the black man black, and the Devil himself made the mulatto." (he has their attention)
The Cain-ites were divided by God in Genesis 4:15. Turn to it in your books. We need to read this now, right now … There was a "mark" set upon Cain to protect him after he killed Abel and God cursed him. The "mark" was that Cain was turned "black." That was God’s first step in separating the races. Then we have, uh, Genesis 9:22-27 … I’ll read this for ya: And Noah said in the name of God, ‘ Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." It’s clear who he was talking about: one race was made to serve the other. "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant." So Ham’s brothers were placed above Ham, and Ham was set to be their servants. Shem was Mongoloid, Ham was Negroid, and Japheth was Caucasian, like you and me. Don’t be confused by that little show, don’t feel sorry for her! That gal had to know better. And truth be told, the Ham-ites are "fleshy," they have a sex problem. This is their temptation: lust of the flesh. Why else would that child be pregnant? Think about that. It is not for you to worry that she was taken out in cuffs. She knew she was wrong. Even the scientists who believe in evolution and not in God agree. They measure the
skulls, and they have to agree with God. They see the blood types, even. This is a fact, and if you have lived around them. It cannot be denied that God has divided the human race into several distinct groups for the sake of keeping them apart. When the promise was given to Noah that the world should not be again destroyed with a flood, it became necessary to restrain the wickedness of man that it should not rise to the same height as in the antediluvian period …(a subtle, hurried gesture is made and the organ strikes up; the congregation is prompted to begin singing as the pastor continues to shout fire and brimstone)

All: "My Country ’Tis of Thee … sweet land of liberty …of thee I siiiiing ... Land where my fathers died! Land of the pilgrims’ pride! From every mountain side, let freedom ring …”

END of SCENE