Theme:       Caesar Augustus, on behalf of Rome, called for a census. He and his chosen enforcer, Quirinius, set out to ensure that not one man, woman or child would be missed in the collection of taxes for Rome.

Bible Reference:     Luke 2:1-5

Cast:         1 male

Set, Sound, Costumes:       standard

Time:        4

Sample of script:

actor comes onstage

The weeks of dreading the journey seemed like pleasant dreams when met with the reality of every painful mile.

What began as anger against the man who foisted this cruel, unnecessary and unjust journey upon us, quickly escalated to fiery loathing and repugnance each time the tyrant’s name was spoken.

Each morning we broke camp with bodies numbed from the long days of walking mile after endless mile. Our morning meal was taken rather than enjoyed, the pain of our spent bodies driving all other emotion from our minds. The pain, cramped muscles and blisters blotted all other sensations from our consciousness. But I had travelled this road before and knew all too well what still lie ahead.

The pleasant grassy meadows and the gentle downward path behind us through the Jezreel and Jordan valleys to the inexperienced had seemed taxing. And our march through the Judean desert had, at times, been very unpleasant.

But ahead stretched the final, and the most torturous leg of our journey. Ahead were rough and rocky mountain paths and some of the most dangerous trails of the area. Behind every rock could be murderous robbers who thought nothing of slitting a throat for a loaf of bread.

On that fourth morning we stood on the outskirts of Jericho, a city with lowest altitude known to man. Ahead was our destination, Bethlehem, some 3,500 feet higher in altitude, a climb we must take.  The exhaustion our people felt that morning in Jericho would soon seem like a walk in the park in comparison with what the next few painful days would bring!

For some of the elderly and infirm the journey was particularly unpleasant. Heli, the father of the town carpenter, Joseph, struggled greatly. The more able among us assisted where we could but seeing the suffering, the hatred for he who initiated this journey burned brighter each day.

Joseph’s new bride, a young girl named Mary had her own issues. She was obviously well on in pregnancy and the walking did tire her. But never once did I hear her complain.

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