Message: The gospel according to Luke
Text: Luke 12:54-59
Be ready, one eye always on eternity
The British novelist and playwright David Lodge was watching one of his own creations, a satirical revue, the evening of Nov. 22, 1963. The theater audience chuckled as an actor in the play showed up for a job interview with a radio clutched to his ear, demonstrating his character's indifference. The actor then set down the radio and turned to a station, lettings its news, music, or commercials play in the background while the play went on. This night, however, a voice came on the radio with a live news bulletin: "Today, the American President John. F. Kennedy was assassinated…" The audience gasped and the actor immediately switched off the radio, but too late. In one sentence, the reality of the outside world had shattered the artificial world of the theater production. Suddenly, whatever action took place onstage seemed superficial and irrelevant.