THE
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
GO WEST
Bound and Determined
By Bob Allen
“For the drunkard
and the glutton shall come to poverty.”
Proverbs 23:21
“All things are
lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
I Corinthians 6:12
Deadly Sin:
Gluttony
CHARACTERS
Rocky Rhodes, – A true-blue, rootin’-tootin’
Western cowboy.
Junior Stetson -Young wrangler who struggles
with a weight
problem.
Dave Leatherman -A cowboy obsessed
with the accumulation
of belts.
SCENE
ROCKY,
JUNIOR AND DAVE LEAN AGAINST A LOG FENCE WATCHING OTHER COWBOYS BREAKING SOME
HORSES. DAVE WEARS 20-30 LEATHER
BELTS. ONE AROUND HIS FOREHEAD. ONE
AROUND HIS NECK AND OTHERS AROUND ARMS, LEGS, CHEST AND WAIST.
DAVE: Obesity! That’s the problem with this country. It wasn’t fat cowboys
who won the west, mark my word. And
those fellows out in
the arena would never be able to break those horses if they were carrying
75 extra pounds around.
ROCKY: Maybe
the old-timers were so busy riding the range that they didn’t
have time to cook on the range.
DAVE: Is
that supposed to be funny? Gluttony is
not funny. Fat kills. Every extra pound a man gains takes
another hour off his life.
ROCKY: So
a man who is one hundred pounds overweight will die four days earlier. Right?
DAVE: Hey,
what is this? You trying to protect
Junior here from the truth? Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. Why if one of those wild stallions the
ranch hands are breaking came busting through
this fence his extra weight would make him a sitting duck. He’d never be able to run fast enough to get
away.
JUNIOR: You’re
right, Dave. And I’m trying hard to get
my weight under control. I really don’t want to lose control to
anything, even something
as good as food.
DAVE: Well,
it seems to me you need to try a little harder.
Must have taken two cows to make all the
leather in that belt you’re wearing. Would you
give it to me?
JUNIOR: My
belt?
DAVE: No,
your fat. Of course, your belt. One that size would be a great addition to my collection.
ROCKY: But
you already have more belts than you can possible use.
DAVE: Use? Who said anything about using. I collect belts because they make me feel good.
There’s nothing more comforting when you are having a bad day than
running your hand across the smooth texture
of a leather belt.
JUNIOR: (REMOVING
HIS BELT) Where do you want it?
DAVE: I
don’t know. There’s not a lot of space
left is there. Why don’t you wrap
it around my legs.
JUNIOR: (KNEELS
DOWN AND WRAPS HIS BELT SEVERAL TIMES AROUND DAVE’S LEGS BEFORE CINCHING
IT.) There. How’s
that.
DAVE: Wonderful. How about yours, Rocky?
ROCKY: My
what?
DAVE: Your
belt. I need a new belt to celebrate the
ride Sam just finished on that wild stallion. I always add a new belt when it’s time to celebrate
something.
ROCKY: (REMOVING
HIS BELT) Where do you want this one?
DAVE: Guess
it will have to go around my wrists.
Everything else is leathered already.
ROCKY: (WRAPPING
HIS BELT TIGHTLY AROUND DAVE’S WRISTS.) You know something, Dave. If one of those wild stallions the ranch hands
are breaking came busting through this fence,
your extra belts would make you a sitting duck.
You’d never
be able to run fast enough to get away.
DAVE: Very
funny. Well let me tell you
something. I’m not controlled by my
belts. I’m not a glutton, if that’s what
you’re trying to imply. I
can take them or leave them. I just
choose to take them. (TRYING
TO SHIFT POSITIONS IN ORDER TO LOOK AT ROCKY,
DAVE LOSES HIS BALANCE AND FALLS TO THE GROUND.)
JUNIOR: Do
you want me to take my belt off your legs?
DAVE: (STRUGGLING
UNSUCESSFULLY TO GET UP) Don’t you dare
touch that belt. It’s mine now.
ROCKY: I
think that perhaps we both need to take our belts back. They’re really not helping you.
DAVE:
I’m doing fine. In fact, I need another
belt. Could you ask one of the ranch hands to throw his belt
across the fence?
ROCKY: What
would you do with it?
DAVE: I
still have an open space between by wrists and my elbows.
JUNIOR: But
that won’t help you get up. That won’t
help you recover.
DAVE: Maybe
not. But a new belt always makes me feel
better. Ask them
for their belts. Please. I beg of you.
Don’t leave me in this state. (ROCKY AND JUNIOR START TO WALK AWAY.) What’s the matter? Having a big Mac attack? Going off somewhere
to super size yourself? You’ve got a
problem, Junior. Food’s got you under
its spell. Fat kills! No!
No! Don’t just walk away from me. I need more belts. Don’t you even care? (ROCKY
AND JUNIOR EXIT.) Don’t leave me here
alone. Come
back. I need more belts. Please.
Won’t someone out there give
me another belt?
The End
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Why is gluttony considered a deadly sin?
- Is it possible for a person to display gluttony toward something besides food?
- How does a person lose control as a result of gluttony?
- Is one type of gluttony more deadly than another?
- Why does Proverbs 23:21 indicate that gluttony leads to poverty?
- What conclusions can be drawn from the association of drunkenness and gluttony in Proverbs 23:21?
- Do those who try to protect others from gluttony tend to focus on gluttonous behavior concerning food and ignore other offenses?
- What is the best way to provide help to a person caught up in gluttonous behavior?
- What does I Corinthians 6:12 teach concerning moral behavior and the sin of gluttony?
- How can a person deal with the temptation to engage in gluttony?
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