Lonsdale's play opens with a scene that includes an argument between Sammee and Devol. Devol doesn't want to acknowledge he is hurting. By the end of the play, Sammee offers Devol hope in Jesus.

By Torie Speicher

INDIA — A crazy psychiatrist. A holiday dater. A domineering and demanding boss. These are just a few of the characters in Fletcher Lonsdale’s* play about living out the Christian life in the workplace that debuted this summer in India. Lonsdale is a graduate of Mississippi College with a passion for India and using the arts to share the love of Jesus.

In the play, Sondra, Sammee, and Jai-Sir are people who go to an office everyday to escape their problems. It could be anywhere. They sit at sterile, white desks in cubicles and stare at old desktop computers and phones that ring, pretending not to check Facebook or send text messages on their cell phones. They argue with each other and dream about their weekend plans when the boss isn’t looking.

Bree is the crazy psychiatrist who comes to help the other characters deal with their problems, but she quickly gets overwhelmed by the fact that she doesn’t have any of the answers they are looking for. Her image associations and breathing exercises are no match for real people dealing with real situations.

The actor who plays Bree, however, knows that God can use anything for His glory — even theater on a secular stage.

Kennedy Mathis* played the part of Bree, her second play under Lonsdale’s direction in India. Mathis is a student at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Tex. Being in India isn’t easy, but it’s worth it, Kennedy said.

“I think it is a sacrifice to come here. Sometimes it is really hot and really dirty. Your back hurts sometimes after being in a rickshaw,” Mathis said. “But, what I’ve seen is that the sacrifices are nothing compared to the sacrifice of what Christ has done for us and the fact that people out there need to hear about Christ’s sacrifice.”

When the characters are forced to face their problems and the possibility of losing their jobs, Sammee offers Good News through Jesus.

Michael Ring, a student at California Baptist University, played the part of Sammee. In the play, when everyone else is questioning his purpose, Sammee says, “I was created for moments like this.” He goes on to share about how Jesus changed his life so that he can encourage others to turn to Him.

Lonsdale sees the play as an instrument for the players to express the things they are going through and meet them with the Gospel.

“There’s a lot of different struggles that characters go through. It hits home when you’re dealing with subject matter that’s intense and relevant to people’s lives,” Ring said. Ring’s character Sammee wants everyone to know that their lives do have purpose and they don’t have to be defined by their problems.

Tabbi and Sondra, characters in Lonsdale's office play, finally express their problems with one another near the end of the play. When Sondra hears that Jesus accepts her and provides hope for her problems, she says, "I want that!"

Acting in a play is not the most traditional way to share the Good News, but Mathis doesn’t care. Since God gave her the ability to act, she sees it as useful for the kingdom.

Mathis said that God is calling everyone to do more than just sit and listen. “God is saying, I’ve given you talents. I’ve given you abilities and passions. Go and use them for my glory,” Mathis said.

Not everyone has to act in a play or go to India for two years, but everyone should do something. “Whether it’s going across town to drink coffee with girls or whether it is going across the world to be in a play or whether it’s going across the world to go to the slums. Do something.” Mathis said.

Just like real life, every character in Lonsdale’s play has issues and wants to know peace or deliverance from a difficult situation, like abuse, family pressures or financial stress, to name a few. But, no one knows where to turn. So, they pour themselves into work — or at least the image of work.

Another actor, Christina Wallace, a student at Francis Marion University, S. C., said the only thing that can fix their problems is having a relationship with God. “All the characters are thinking about it and most of them want to have that, but they aren’t quite there,” Wallace said.

Wallace’s character Sondra lived with the shame of being a disappointment to her parents. When she found out that she might lose her job, she didn’t know what to do.

Different from a lot of stories, this play doesn’t completely resolve in the end. The only resolution is the promise of peace through a relationship with Jesus. The Truth of the Gospel transcends culture and work. There’s no superficial, happily ever after, even though there is a marriage proposal.

“It just kind of ends and it’s like there’s more story to tell,” Wallace said. The purpose of the play isn’t to answer all the questions people have about Christianity, but to introduce people to the hope they can have in Jesus.

“It’s supposed to point the way to the answers. It’s supposed to start the journey,” Mathis said.

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*Name changed.

Torie Speicher is a writer serving among South Asian peoples with International Mission Board.