Last night the director was discussing a scene from the play we are doing. It is not enough that something is in the script, she said, you have to understand why it is in the script. Why is your character doing what he or she is doing or saying what he or she is saying. Why is he or she reacting the way he or she does? What is their motivation?
In business many companies have adopted something called Lean Six Sigma, which is a series of procedures designed to promote efficiency and quality. One of the questions that Lean Six Sigma asks is very similar to what the director asks. It is called Root Cause Analysis. Again, why is this happening? What is its significance?
Very different worlds, theater and business, yet they ask similar questions. In business it used to be that you weren't encouraged to ask these questions, you just did as you were told. Now companies are finding out that it is important to have employees who know how to ask these questions. In thirty years the company where I work went from being an authoritarian workplace to one where employees are expected to come up with solutions to help the company be more efficient. It is not easy for me to adapt to that change.
But in traditional religion there isn't much room for that kind of thinking, and that is a shame, because it means that some of the best and most creative people are being stifled when it comes to looking at things in a new way. Take for example the idea that the Bible (and even more so, the Qu'ran) says that because some people or groups of people are wicked, it was ok for God to kill them or give the command to kill them. This is not to be questioned. Well, why?
In Acts Chapter 18, Paul goes to Corinth, and immediately runs into trouble with the Jews. Always the Jews. So he gets mad at them and curses them. "Your blood be upon your heads!" Now, that's a pretty strong thing to say, and definitely not a "Christian" thing at all. So why did he say it? Well, according to Pastor, it was because depending on the translation, they were either reviling Paul or blaspheming Jesus. He thinks it was the latter because of the vehemence of Paul's curse. Now here's where the question of motive comes in. If this was a play and I was one of the Jews, how could I play this part convincingly? What reason would I, a Jew of Corinth, to blaspheme someone I had never met and had probably never heard of until this Paul character came along? It wasn't like they had Google in those days. But Luke leaves that question unanswered.
Anyway, the Jews decided to haul Paul into Roman court on the charges of preaching an illegal religion. But the Roman proconsul, Gallio, tells them that he doesn't have time for this BS, that if it was a matter of a crime or a misdemeanor, it would be one thing, but as far as he can tell it is just quibbling over words and things that don't have anything to do with Roman law. Apparently he has heard something about what is going on, and he's not impressed. So he calls Security and tells them to remove these people. The mob ends up beating the president of the synagogue right on the steps of the courthouse while Gallio just shrugs and turns his back.
Now Gallio I can understand and even somewhat sympathize with. He sounds almost modern in his attitude. He'd heard enough about the Jewish-Christian quarrel that he'd already made up his mind. Paul doesn't even get to speak, which I imagine for him would be a real bummer. Nope--out with the lot of you. And out they all go. No miraculous conversions here. Paul is going to encounter more Romans like Gallio in the months ahead--efficient, no-nonsense, people who have absolutely no interest in his message other than the fact he is disturbing the peace with it--and it will eventually cost him his life.
In business many companies have adopted something called Lean Six Sigma, which is a series of procedures designed to promote efficiency and quality. One of the questions that Lean Six Sigma asks is very similar to what the director asks. It is called Root Cause Analysis. Again, why is this happening? What is its significance?
Very different worlds, theater and business, yet they ask similar questions. In business it used to be that you weren't encouraged to ask these questions, you just did as you were told. Now companies are finding out that it is important to have employees who know how to ask these questions. In thirty years the company where I work went from being an authoritarian workplace to one where employees are expected to come up with solutions to help the company be more efficient. It is not easy for me to adapt to that change.
But in traditional religion there isn't much room for that kind of thinking, and that is a shame, because it means that some of the best and most creative people are being stifled when it comes to looking at things in a new way. Take for example the idea that the Bible (and even more so, the Qu'ran) says that because some people or groups of people are wicked, it was ok for God to kill them or give the command to kill them. This is not to be questioned. Well, why?
In Acts Chapter 18, Paul goes to Corinth, and immediately runs into trouble with the Jews. Always the Jews. So he gets mad at them and curses them. "Your blood be upon your heads!" Now, that's a pretty strong thing to say, and definitely not a "Christian" thing at all. So why did he say it? Well, according to Pastor, it was because depending on the translation, they were either reviling Paul or blaspheming Jesus. He thinks it was the latter because of the vehemence of Paul's curse. Now here's where the question of motive comes in. If this was a play and I was one of the Jews, how could I play this part convincingly? What reason would I, a Jew of Corinth, to blaspheme someone I had never met and had probably never heard of until this Paul character came along? It wasn't like they had Google in those days. But Luke leaves that question unanswered.
Anyway, the Jews decided to haul Paul into Roman court on the charges of preaching an illegal religion. But the Roman proconsul, Gallio, tells them that he doesn't have time for this BS, that if it was a matter of a crime or a misdemeanor, it would be one thing, but as far as he can tell it is just quibbling over words and things that don't have anything to do with Roman law. Apparently he has heard something about what is going on, and he's not impressed. So he calls Security and tells them to remove these people. The mob ends up beating the president of the synagogue right on the steps of the courthouse while Gallio just shrugs and turns his back.
Now Gallio I can understand and even somewhat sympathize with. He sounds almost modern in his attitude. He'd heard enough about the Jewish-Christian quarrel that he'd already made up his mind. Paul doesn't even get to speak, which I imagine for him would be a real bummer. Nope--out with the lot of you. And out they all go. No miraculous conversions here. Paul is going to encounter more Romans like Gallio in the months ahead--efficient, no-nonsense, people who have absolutely no interest in his message other than the fact he is disturbing the peace with it--and it will eventually cost him his life.
