This script by Nana Kwame K. Boamah of Ghana earned runner-up honors in our October writing contest. Contest participants were invited to respond to this prompt in 400 words or less: “Whom in the Bible (other than Jesus) would you like to meet for dinner, and what would you talk about? You may choose to create a script if you like.” Thirty writers from17 nations submitted entries in this English contest.
“Full of interesting dialogue that generates true-to-life traits of Judas Iscariot as a genuine character. The writer effective creates scenes that show rather than tell the events,” wrote contest judge Lawrence Darmani, an award-winning novelist and founding editor of Step magazine and CEO of Step Publishers in Accra, Ghana.
Just Thirty Pieces of Silver
By Nana Kwame Boamah
At exactly 7 p.m at the Dinner Plaza, a man dressed in a flashy black and white-striped tuxedo approached me and stretched his right hand toward my direction.
“My name is Judas Iscariot.”
I held his hand and shook before I asked, “Are you really the great Judas Iscariot in the Bible?”
He nodded, “Yes.”
Straightaway I asked him, “Why did you betray Jesus Christ?”
He frowned at me at once. “Why do you want to know?”
“I’ve always believed it was not for that small money because your father, Simon Iscariot was rich. You were neither poor,” I stressed.
He glanced at me and chuckled. “Well, the ocean, despite its size still collects rain water.”
“But Jesus really loved you because in the book of John chapter13, he washed your feet.” I reminded him.
“I know, but there was nothing I could do,” he said regretfully.
I looked at him carefully. “Why are you saying that?”
“The Roman soldiers promised to pay me a hefty amount,” he blurted.
“In that case, why did you kiss Jesus as a signal for him to be arrested instead of pointing at him?”
Suddenly Judas paused and sighed heavily. Then he said in a sad tone, “The kiss was just to hand over Jesus to the soldiers but after hearing that he would be crucified, I became so devastated.”
“Is that why you attempted to return the money?” I quizzed him.
Judas nodded remorsefully. So I continued, “A lot of Christians feel you never repented but rather showed some remorse.”
Judas sighed silently. Looking very sad, he uttered, “I should have repented and asked for forgiveness but the devil didn’t give me a chance,” he declared.
“Were you instigated by the devil?” I asked.
He nodded and said frankly, “Though I followed Jesus, I loved the devil called money more.”
“How can you forego the Kingdom of God for just 30 pieces of silver?” I asked disappointedly.
He remained silent for a while and said regretfully, “I’m sorry. My heart was not with Jesus at that time.”
“Are you the famous traitor of all times?” I wanted to know.
Judas screamed, “No!”
Later he whispered to me. “He is a member of your church.”
Nana Kwame K. Boamah markets Christian literature in Ghana and views his work as a calling, not a vocation. “My desire is to ensure that at least four out of every six children in this world learn to recite a Bible verse,” he says. Nana dropped out of his mother’s womb on August 28, 1971.
>>Read the winning entry for October: “Dinner Chat with Moses“ by Bernard Ebiau.
It’s not too late to enter our last of 5 writing contests! “When I see how Christians act, I don’t want to become one,” someone says. Write a letter in response in 400 words or less. Deadline: November 30, 2020. See the guidelines.
