More information about

                  IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER

MAIN POINT
Christians and non-Christians alike have long wrestled with the incongruity of troubles, pain and problems intruding into the lives of good people. Why does God allow that to happen? Why doesn't he use his power to prevent such pain in life? There don't seem to be any easy answers, but this script raises the questions and provides an opening for the matter of human pain and suffering to be addressed.

CHARACTERIZATION
Two couples, longtime good friends with each other.
John -- A man in his late 40s, married to Carol. Fun-loving.
Carol -- A woman in her late 40s, happily married to John.
Owen -- A man in his late 40s, married to Julie. He was best man in John and Carol's wedding 25 years ago.
Julie -- A woman in her late 40s, married to Owen. She was maid of honor in John and Carol's wedding and is still Carol's best friend. These characters are all people we like and the relationship they have is one to be envied. They are playful with one another because they have shared much joy and much pain, together over the years. The spouses should be visibly comfortable with one another -- husbands and wives holding hands freely, etc.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Since there isn't a lot of movement in this scene, the pacing of the lines will be very important. A beautiful horizon sits before these people. They are often looking at the variations in the sky when they are not talking. They may also spot a sea gull or a family walking along the shore beside them. It will be the actors, along with sound and lighting, that draw us into this "little bit of heaven" feel. When Julie and Owen enter at the end, their pain should be subtle. They talked briefly about whether they should share their bad news with their friends or not. Of course they should ... they share life with their friends. Julie has already been through a battle with cancer. They all know what lies ahead. We need to see that on their faces as the sun sets.

RELATED SCRIPTURES
A powerful connection can be made with 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, where Paul testifies that while he and his colleagues are crushed and perplexed, they are never in despair, thanks to the power of God. A similar point may be made from 2 Corinthians 1:5-7. The entire 11th chapter of Hebrews speaks of the faith that enables us to deal with what life brings our way. Consider also John 16:33 and 1 Peter 4:12-14.

RELATED THEMES
In addition to the obvious connections with the topics of pain and suffering and where is God when it hurts, this script will also work well for messages on relationships, the community bearing one another's burdens, and faith.