(scene: judge's bench and witness stand or podium and barstool)
JUDGE -- (enters wearing black robe, crosses to bench, pounds gavel) This court is back in session. The plaintiff may call its next witness.
PLAINTIFF -- (enters carrying legal pad) The plaintiff calls Elizabeth Johnson.
ELIZABETH -- (enters, sits in witness chair, swearing in is optional)
PLAINTIFF -- State your name for the record.
ELIZABETH -- Elizabeth Johnson.
PLAINTIFF -- Do you have a professional relationship with the accused?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. He's the pastor of our church.
PLAINTIFF -- And did the accused also have a professional relationship with your husband?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. There was a professional relationship in both directions. The accused was my husband's pastor. And my husband was his family doctor.
PLAINTIFF -- Can you tell the court why you use the past tense?
ELIZABETH -- My husband died recently of a sudden stroke.
PLAINTIFF -- You don't blame the accused for your husband's untimely death, do you?
ELIZABETH -- No. Of course not.
PLAINTIFF -- But you ARE accusing your pastor of malpractice.
ELIZABETH -- Yes.
PLAINTIFF -- Why?
ELIZABETH -- Because we went to his church for ten years, but he never talked about sin.
PLAINTIFF -- And why do you consider that to be malpractice?
ELIZABETH -- After my husband died, someone else told me about sin.
PLAINTIFF -- And what did you discover about sin?
ELIZABETH -- Hebrews 9:27 says that after we die, we face judgement for our sins.
PLAINTIFF -- And what are the implications for your husband?
ELIZABETH -- My husband died without having his sins forgiven. So, according to the Bible, his judgement involves eternal exclusion from heaven.
PLAINTIFF -- Are you saying that in ten years of preaching, your pastor never once mentioned the need to have one's sins forgiven?
ELIZABETH -- Not once.
PLAINTIFF -- After your husband died, did you have YOUR sins forgiven?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. I put my trust in the death of Jesus as payment for my sins.
PLAINTIFF -- And how many times did you hear about the need for forgiveness before you received forgiveness?
ELIZABETH -- Just once.
PLAINTIFF -- Just once.
ELIZABETH -- Yes. The Bible is very clear about the need for forgiveness and the method God set up to have my sins paid for.
PLAINTIFF -- Can you tell the court what the implications are, now that your sins have been forgiven?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. The Bible is very clear about that too. It's says that those who trust Jesus to pay for their sins will spend eternity in heaven.
PLAINTIFF -- Eternity.
ELIZABETH -- Yes.
PLAINTIFF -- In heaven.
ELIZABETH -- Yes.
PLAINTIFF -- Please tell the court what the implications are for you and your husband.
ELIZABETH -- Well, since I'm going to spend eternity in Heaven and my husband will spend eternity excluded from Heaven, I'll never see him again.
PLAINTIFF -- So, what your saying is that because of the malpractice of the accused, you and your husband will never see each other EVER AGAIN?
ELIZABETH -- That's right.
PLAINTIFF -- (exiting) Your witness.
DEFENSE -- Mrs Johnson, isn't it true that my client sued your husband recently for malpractice?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. That's true.
DEFENSE -- Uh huh. Can you tell the court the nature of the law suit?
ELIZABETH -- The pastor had a rather rare blood disease. My husband only treated the symptoms of the disease. But the pastor's condition grew worse.
DEFENSE -- Uh huh. Isn't it true that your husband never did cure my client of his disease?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. When his condition grew worse, the pastor tried another doctor.
DEFENSE -- So, he sought a second opinion.
ELIZABETH -- That's right.
DEFENSE -- And it was the OTHER doctor who finally cured the disease.
ELIZABETH -- That's right.
DEFENSE -- Mrs Johnson, isn't it true that the only reason you're suing my client is in retribution for the medical malpractice law suit?
ELIZABETH -- No.
DEFENSE -- (exiting) I have no further questions.
ELIZABETH -- It's not.
PLAINTIFF -- (entering) Redirect your Honour?
JUDGE -- Proceed.
PLAINTIFF -- Mrs Johnson, can you tell the court who won that medical malpractice law suit?
ELIZABETH -- My husband.
DEFENSE -- Objection. Relevance.
PLAINTIFF -- Defense counsel began the trip down this road when she impugned the motives of the witness. I'm merely showing that the medical malpractice lawsuit cost the witness nothing. Ergo, the witness can't possibly be accused of retribution.
JUDGE -- I'll allow it. Continue.
PLAINTIFF -- Can you tell the court how the accused came to receive that second opinion that finally cured the disease?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. My husband referred the pastor to a doctor who specialized in blood-born pathogens.
PLAINTIFF -- So, the doctor used due diligence to find a cure for the disease, even though he himself was ignorant of the cure.
ELIZABETH -- That's right.
PLAINTIFF -- Mrs Johnson, can you see any parallels between the medical malpractice lawsuit and this professional malpractice lawsuit?
ELIZABETH -- Yes. In both cases, the mistake was treating the SYMPTOMS of the disease rather than attacking the cause of the disease and eradicating it.
PLAINTIFF -- And how did the accused treat the symptoms of the disease?
ELIZABETH -- For the last ten years, the pastor has preached on healing the pain, on making yourself feel better about yourself, on working harder, being a better person.
PLAINTIFF -- But that didn't attack the CAUSE of the disease?
ELIZABETH -- No. As I found out after it was too late, the disease is sin and the only cure for sin is forgiveness. All we needed from the pastor was a referral to the specialist who could eradicate the sin.
PLAINTIFF -- Perhaps the pastor was ignorant of the cure.
ELIZABETH -- No. After my husband died, I found out that the pastor made a conscious decision ten years ago NOT to talk about the disease because he thought people didn't want to hear it.
PLAINTIFF -- Well, it's true, isn't it? People DON'T want to hear it.
ELIZABETH -- No, of course not. But when people are sick, they NEED to hear the bad news. And they need to hear the good news that there's a referral to a specialist. Anything less is malpractice.
PLAINTIFF -- No more questions.
JUDGE -- Cross examine, counsellor?
DEFENSE -- (approaches) Mrs Johnson, you're suing my client for one million dollars, isn't that right?
ELIZABETH -- Yes, that's right.
DEFENSE -- You're attorney seems to have made it clear that your motive for this lawsuit was not retribution. Isn't it possible that your motive might be old-fashioned greed?
ELIZABETH -- No.
DEFENSE -- No? That's your rejoinder? No?
ELIZABETH -- I've already signed a letter of intent to give the money to the church. I won't get a dime from this lawsuit.
DEFENSE -- (looks offstage in disbelief) Not a dime?!
ELIZABETH -- Not a dime.
DEFENSE -- If you didn't do it for revenge or for the money, why did you go to all the time and trouble to sue my client?
ELIZABETH -- I want the pastor to stop treating the symptoms and start treating the disease.
DEFENSE -- That's it?
ELIZABETH -- That's it.
DEFENSE -- (exiting quietly) No more questions.
JUDGE -- You may step down.
ELIZABETH -- (exits)
JUDGE -- Call your next witness.
PLAINTIFF -- No more witnesses, Your Honour. The plaintiff rests.
JUDGE -- Defense counsel may call its first witness.
DEFENSE -- (enters) Your Honour, my client has had a change of heart. We'd like to settle.
JUDGE -- My chambers. This court is adjourned. (all exit)
-Bob Snook-
1 John 1 (NKJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
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