The slaves

A mini-sketch

Two Roman slaves, characters in Jesus’ story of the wedding banquet, are in conversation...

(Gallio is confident and up-beat. Felicio is a somewhat depressive Eeyore-type character)       


Gallio: Fancy us starring in one Jesus’s stories, eh? Us!

Felicio: We’re hardly stars. We’re just part of the furniture - as ever. Always taken for granted.

Gallio: Of course! 'Go here’, ‘Run there’ - our life in a nutshell, eh?

Felicio: It’s a good story, though, I suppose. Fancy anyone turning down an offer to a feast like that! I would I have given anything to tuck into that succulent spread - and those flagons of wine. But it’s our lot again - serving: yes, gorging: no.

Gallio: Those arrogant, stuck-up folk - insulting our king like that, refusing his invitation. I wanted to punch them to pulp, to save him the job later.

Felicio: Glad you didn’t. Wouldn’t have been good for either of our careers.

Gallio: Yeah, I’m carefully clocking up the years of service and the gold stars. You’ve got to be strategic - I’ve got my sights set on earning my freedom, alright. 

Felicio: Mmm, freedom. Jesus tells a story about slaves, but is there a mention of freedom for us in it? No. We’re obviously just part of the furniture to him too. And I thought he would be our saviour.

Gallio: Ah, but think who’s he’s talking to. The walls have ears, you know - plus Roman officers patrolling everywhere these days, all with their own slaves. One hint of slave insurrection, and Jesus would be meat served up at their next banquet. They all remember Spartacus!

Felicio: ’suppose so…

Gallio: Plus look at who came to the banquet in the end!

Felicio: What do you mean?

Gallio: “Then the king said to his slaves, ‘go into the main streets, and invite everyone you find.’ ” Where are us slaves half the day, as we ‘go there’ and ‘run there’? On the streets. He meant slaves too.

Felicio: Slaves? Us? Invited to the great banquet?

Gallio: Yep! Us.

Felicio: Wow!

Gallio: So Jesus was preaching insurrection after all. It was buried in his story. Oh, that was clever!

Felicio: I’m so relieved. My faith is restored.

Gallio: It’ll take a while, though, freedom. In the meantime, do keep restraining me when I wanna throw a punch and kick-start the rebellion.

Felicio: And in the meantime now, look! We’ve got a taste of freedom - all those left-overs from the banquet we can scoff as we clear up. I’ve no problem picking up the crumbs from under this table.

Gallio: Our very own feast. Come on.

 

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Alphaeus adds:
This conversation follows a story Jesus told about a wedding banquet (see Matthew 22 vv1-14).
The sketch was written for Freedom Sunday 2017 (linked to Anti-Slavery Day), which raises awareness of modern-day slavery.
With thanks to Marcus Sidonius Falx (alias Jerry Toner) for his informative and entertaining book about Roman slaves, How to Manage your Slaves.