Transcripts: Apply Bible Principles

Transcript: How They Sowed and Reaped Peace.
[Nighttime in a Gazebo lit by lanterns. 15 people sit around a long table filled with food, fresh flowers, and candles. A fire crackles in the nearby fireplace]
Nick: And every morning, and I mean every morning, there’s Jeremy singing at the top of his lungs.
Jeremy: OK, I wasn’t the only one.
Nick: No, but you were the loudest.
Jeremy: Spoken like a true big brother.
Matt: I was always impressed with how close you two were.
Nick: Hmm. Well,
[Nick and Jeremy exchange looks]
it wasn’t always that way.
Jeremy: No.
[Jeremy looks down]
I mean, it started out that way.
[Then turns to the group]
Nick and I, we weren’t just brothers, we were friends.
[Scenes from the past]
But then the family business ran into trouble, and what started as a small disagreement just exploded.
[Nick and Jeremy in a car repair shop]
Jeremy: How our business works. Instead of criticising, could you just once.
[Papers in hand Nick follows his brother]
Nick: Jeremy!
[Frowning Jeremy throws down an oil rag]
Do you have any idea what this is going to cost us?
Jeremy: I didn’t have a choice. You went behind my back!
Nick: What’s your problem?
[Jeremy slams the cabinet drawer]
Jeremy: You! You’re the problem.
[Then steps closer to Nick. Nick tosses the papers at Jeremy’s feet and storms off.]
Jeremy: We tried to work it out.
[In an office they face each other and vividly gesture.]
Nick: But things just got worse.
[Jeremy leaves. At a barbecue.]
Jeremy: It was like a door had slammed shut between us.
[Nick laughs with friends]
On the outside, I acted like everything was fine.
[Jeremy scowls at him]
But inside, I couldn’t let it go.
[At a Kingdom Hall, Jeremy gives a talk from the platform. His smile fades as he sees Nick assisting an elderly man with a tablet]
I felt like a total hypocrite.
[Later at home Jeremy sits alone on his couch clutching his Bible]
and that had to change.
[With furrowed brow he bows his head. At the car repair shop, Nick in coveralls slides out from under a car. Jeremy stands nearby with two travel cups.]
I needed a lot of help from Jehovah to let go,
[They look at each other]
to move on,
[Nick smiles as Jeremy hands him a cup]
and make things right with Nick.
[In a forest they converse as they rest their elbows on the railing of a wooden bridge]
It took a long time for the wounds to heal,
[In the ministry Jeremy observes Nick talking with a man]
Nick: and for us to trust each other the way we used to.
[In the kitchen with their wives, they chat and laugh around a cheese platter. At work they stand under a lifted car.]
Jeremy: But we did.
[Teasingly Jeremy wipes his hand on his brother’s shoulder. At home Jeremy zips up his jacket and picks up his keys]
I’m so grateful that we made peace
[He looks in the mirror and puts on a black face mask]
before the world turned upside down.
[Back in the gazebo, Gary sitting at the end of the table turns to his friends.]
Gary: You see, the pandemic lasted longer than any of us expected,
[Scenes from the past, Gary watches tv]
and all the conflicting news reports just added to the stress.
[His eyes shift to his sister in the hallway]
Then my sister lost her job and had to move in with us.
[He washes his hands in the kitchen sink]
So, yeah, it was me and Kelly, Nicole, and Dad.
[Their Dad looks up from the newspaper]
Dad: Twenty seconds, Son, TWENTY seconds.
[Gary and his wife Kelly exchange looks, she smiles at him, he shakes his head and washes his hands some more, then grabs his keys and phone. His sister Nicole watches him leave]
Nicole: Uh, where’s your mask?
Gary: Don’t worry.
Kelly: Here, you can use this one.
Gary: I won’t get near anyone.
Nicole: Gary.
[With a puzzled smile, Nicole shrugs]
Gary: Listen! Nobody at the warehouse is wearing masks. And do you know how many people have actually gotten sick? Zero.
Dad: So far. You saw the last Governing Body update. We can’t let down our guard. Not now.
Gary: Dad, I get it. OK? Look, I think it’s great that the brothers are trying to keep us safe. But
[Kelly furrows her brow]
Kelly: But what?
Gary: Don’t you think that they’re, you know, overreacting?
[Nicole scoffs. Gary looks around then grabs the mask from Kelly’s hand and quickly departs. At a gas station Gary pumps gasoline into his car, his mask loose under his nose]
Gary: But, of course, it wasn’t the brothers who had the problem.
A woman with a mask covering her mouth and nose, gestures at him]
It was me.
[Looking away he pulls his mask over his nose]
A week later, I found out that a friend in our service group was in the hospital with COVID-19.
[At home he sits at his desk]
He was young, and he had been taking all the right precautions.
[He raises his eyebrows as he talks on the phone]
I had really let my guard down.
[He puts down the phone and plays the Governing Body update on his computer]
Computer: Now is not the time to slacken our hand when it comes to safety. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t think the virus can’t affect you or your family.
[He rests his chin on his hand]
Gary: I saw how the organization was really trying to protect us and how much my decisions were affecting others,
[The family sits together in the living room]
including the people I love the most.
[All eyes on Dad as he speaks. Gary and Kelly by the front door]
As the pandemic dragged on, I learned the importance of being humble and obedient.
[Before leaving they put their masks on over their nose and mouth. The family watches JW Broadcasting]
Following Jehovah’s direction didn’t just help us stay safe,
[They warmly converse and laugh around the dinner table]
it brought us peace.
[Back in the gazebo as Matt talks others nod.]
Matt: And you know how Jehovah’s people are. When there’s a need, our brothers step up. So even though we had a lot of work to do back then,
[scenes from the past]
we always had willing workers’
[Brothers in masks carry food crates]
so many workers that some started to feel like they were being overlooked.
[Matt grabs his phone]
Hey, Ray! What’s up?
Ray: Hey, Matt, I hear you’re organizing the food distribution for our congregation.
Matt: Yeah, I’m trying my best.
Ray: Yeah, well, can I give you a hand? My truck is all ready to go.
[In a kitchen Ray prepares a sandwich]
Matt: We actually just finished loading up for the day, so I think we’re good. But, wow, yeah, thank you very much for offering.
Ray: OK. When’s the next run?
Matt: You know what, Ray? We’re about to pull out right now. Is it OK if I call you back?
Ray: Yeah. Yeah, sure.
[Ray puts his phone in his pocket. Downcast he takes the sandwich to the living room.]
Matt: Ray was such a hard worker, more than most of us even realized.
[He places it in front of his mother]
He put his heart into every assignment.
[An oxygen tube in her nose]
Ray’s Mom: Who was that?
Matt: But when I told him we already had all the help we needed, it didn’t go the way I hoped.
[Later that day]
Ray, I think you’re muted.
[Matt and Ray in a videoconference on their laptops]
Ray: So, what you’re saying is you don’t think I’m qualified to help out.
Matt: No, no, we just… We know how hard you’re working caring for your mom. We didn’t want to
Ray: Isn’t Paul Thompson on your crew?
Matt: Yeah, but
Ray: And Oliver Kagan?
Matt: Oliver’s my assistant, yes, but
Ray: So how does this work, Matt? I mean, you just use your friends, and you shut the rest of us out. Don’t you think I notice how you brothers ignore me?
[Matt leans forward and nods]
Matt: Ray, I owe you an apology. I’m so sorry. I should’ve spoke with you about this right from the start. You’re working so hard taking care of your mom. The last thing we wanted to do was make things harder for you. But even more than that, we didn’t want to have to ask you to do something that would put you or your mother at higher risk.
Ray: I know, I worry about that too.
Matt: You know, your mom,
[Matt smiles]
we wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. She’s one of our congregation treasures.
Ray: I know.
Matt: And you’re not so bad either. Seriously, you’re such a good example. Think how Jehovah must feel when he sees all that you’re doing for us and for your mom.
[Ray looks down and smiles shyly]
Ray: Thank you. That means a lot to me. If something comes up that I can help with then, even just a little, and I can do it from home.
Matt: Well, that’s a good point. Maybe I can get
[Back in the gazebo. Tim looks around the table.]
Tim: And later on, when things got even more intense, that’s when our peace was really put to the test.
[Matt furrows his brow]
Matt: Yeah, but, Tim, you always found a way to keep us positive.
Tim: Well, I learned a lot about that from my better half.
[Tim smiles at his wife]
Amy has always had a way of bringing people together. For example, just before the pandemic, there were these two pioneer sisters in our congregation.
[Scenes from the past]
Becky was energetic, industrious, and fearless in her ministry,
[Becky cart witnessing]
and Lena was experienced, self-sacrificing, and such a good Bible teacher.
[Lena Conducts a Bible study]
Amy: But they didn’t exactly get along.
[Amy reminisces. At the Kingdom Hall Lena puts some magazines in her purse, as she notices Becky conversing with a sister, she sighs, then walks to the coat room. There she meets Amy who is taking her coat off a hanger]
Amy: Are you ready to go? Are you OK?
Lena: It’s just, It’s Becky. She’s just such a phantom pioneer. We never see her. I’m sorry, but she just needs to be more serious about her ministry.
Amy: Well, she’s been doing metro witnessing and.
Lena: I know, I know, and LDC too, right? She does plumbing?
Amy: Concrete. She does have a lot of energy!
[Lena smirks]
Do you remember when we used to be like that?
Lena: I don’t know that I was ever like Becky.
Amy: No, you weren’t. You were Beckyer than Becky. I couldn’t keep up with you those long service days in your little red car.
Lena: That feels like a long time ago.
[They get into Amy’s car.]
You know, Becky reminds me a lot of you, I mean both of us, twenty years ago. She’s working so hard, and she’s made so many sacrifices for the truth, just like you have.
[Lena purses her lips and looks away]
I think we should get together, the three of us. You should get to know her better.
[Amy puts on her sunglasses. In a living room Lena and Becky chat]
The next week, I had them both over to the house.
[Amy hands Becky a teacup]
And the more those two got to know each other, the closer they became.
[Lena and Becky laugh while cart witnessing]
Tim: You know that proverb “The tongue of the wise is a healing”? Amy taught me what that verse really means.
[In a prison cell]
Prison guard: OK, everyone out!
[Tim looks up from an open grey Bible in his hand. He stands up from his bunk bed, and lines up next to other prisoners]
When everything changed and we suddenly found ourselves locked up together, I tried to show that same spirit so that we could stay united.
[A prison guard slowly strides past Jeremy, Matt, Gary, and other brothers. The guard turns to face them, arms folded]
And with Jehovah’s help, we did.
[Back in the gazebo, Tim glances at David the former prison guard]
The first time we met David, we were in chains!
[David nods]
David: I’d seen a lot of things during my time as a guard, but nothing like the peace that you all had.
Joseph: Prison chains may be strong, but we all had something much stronger.
Carl: But we had to work for that peace.
[All eyes on Carl]
Right, Phil?
[Carl turns to Phil]
Phil: That’s right.
[Phil looks down with a slight smile.]
See, there was a misunderstanding
[Scenes from the past]
that got blown all out of proportion.
[Eight brothers in suits around a conference table]
And I didn’t handle it the best.
[A brother hands Phil his tablet]
The more I tried to defend myself, the worse it became.
[Phil squints at the tablet]
Brothers, there must be some mistake.
[Brows furrowed he shakes his head]
This isn’t true. You know me!
[Mouth agape he looks at Tim, Carl, and the other brothers. Tim averts his eyes from Phil. At the Kingdom Hall, Phil sits next to his wife]
I wasn’t prepared for how far it would go.
Chairman: There’s one more announcement.
[Phil looks down]
Brother Philip Kim is no longer serving as an elder.
[His wife puts her hand on his]
Well, that brings our meeting to a close.
Phil: The next few months were a real struggle.
[Tim, Phil, and Carl sit at a conference table]
But when more details came to light, I thought I’d be reappointed,
[Phil grabs his keys]
but I wasn’t.
[Then storms off. Tim follows him outside Kingdom Hall, Carl stays. Shaking his head Phil rushes to his car]
Phil: I couldn’t understand why.
Tim: Phil, come on.
Phil: I felt bitterness growing inside.
[Phil leans towards the driver’s window then lowers his head as Phil drives away. At Phil’s home]
Everything became about me,
[He stares down sombrely]
how I felt, what I deserved.
[His wife puts her hand on his shoulder]
It was like a fog that stopped me from seeing what Jehovah deserved, and I really needed his help.
[An open Bible and a tablet rest on the table]
I found comfort in accounts of Jehovah’s servants who were either misunderstood or misjudged but maintained their loyalty to Him.
[He looks at an illustration of Mephibosheth. At the Kingdom Hall, he and his wife walk together. Phil notices Carl and approaches him]
They helped me realize that it’s a privilege just to be in Jehovah’s organization.
[Smiling they shake hands]
Being at peace with my brothers was more important than any appointed position. Without peace, I don’t know how we could’ve managed what was to come.
[In prison, Phil reads a letter, nearby Carl drops a pencil and rubs his hand, Phil notices and jumps up from his bunk bed, crouching down he picks up the pencil]
Is your arthritis bad today?
[He looks up at Carl]
Then I’ll be your secretary just like Baruch was to Jeremiah.
[Then sits across from him]
Carl: I don’t know what I’d do without you.
[Back in the gazebo, all eyes on Carl as he leans forward]
But you know, there is more to the story.
[He points at Phil]
Phil didn’t know just how tense things were between Tim and I
[Phil shakes his head]
Phil: No idea.
Tim: We never talked,
[Tim’s eyes shift from Phil to Carl]
I mean really talked about it, until it was too late.
[Scenes from the past. Outside the Kingdom Hall Tim watches Phil drive off. Tim shifts his weight and bites his lip. With firm steps he returns to the conference room and closes the door]
Look!
[He pushes the chair away and stands near Carl]
We need to talk.
[With a grave face Carl looks up from his laptop]
I think we need to seriously reconsider Phil’s qualifications. You know he’s not the type of brother that.
Carl: Enough! Enough about Phil.
[Carl looks down]
I know he’s your friend,
Tim: Friend?
Carl: but the body agreed that he no longer qualified to serve as an elder.
Tim: Friend? Friend? He’s worked with us for years.
Carl: The body decided, unanimously, that he should no longer serve.
Tim: Because you pushed them.
[Tim points at Carl, scowling Carl stands up]
Carl: Excuse me?
Tim: It’s enough that we have those outside the congregation putting pressure on us, we do not need more in here.
Carl: Do you seriously think.
[Behind the closed door they continue to argue]
Tim: The conversation, the argument, it was terrible. We both said things we didn’t mean.
Carl: And after that, we both handled the situation poorly.
[At a congregation meeting all glances at Tim, they both quickly look away as their eyes meet. Tim and Carl each at their own home sit at a desk, they both read their Bible by the light of a lamp. Carl looks up and pensively stares ahead]
We needed to make things right.
[They each bow their heads in prayer. Carl lifts his head, pushes out his chair and rises to his feet. Later that day Carl stands at a door, as Tim opens the door Carl smiles and holds up a box of pastries]
Tim: It wasn’t easy,
[In Tim’s back yard]
But we talked it out
[They lean against a deck rail as they converse]
And we made peace with Jehovah’s help.
Carl: Can you imagine what it would have been like in that cellblock if we hadn’t?
Tim: We finally told Phil the whole story once we were all roommates.
[In prison]
Phil: Wow!
[Phil sits across from Tim and Carl on bunk beds]
Unseen brother: We’re ready!
Carl: Let’s go sing.
[They get up and join a group of nine brothers singing]
Brothers singing: Like an island of calm, In dark stormy seas, God’s people are living in peace.
[They gather in a close circle]
With our eyes of faith, we see beyond the clouds, and know that the storm
[A surveillance camera hangs from the ceiling]
soon will cease. To the ends of the earth,
[In the control room the prison guard, David, observes them]
There’ll be peace at last for all eternity.
[Back in the gazebo]
David: There’s one more story to tell.
[David addresses the group]
I didn’t know it at the time,
[scenes from the past]
but seeds of truth were being planted in my heart.
[In prison David in his guard uniform watches Phil write a letter, he also observes Tim praying on his bunk bed]
You were all so different. I couldn’t understand it.
[David pauses as he walks by the brothers sitting around a table, they laugh with radiant faces]
You were prisoners, yes, but you felt free,
[From the control room David watches the brothers on screen as they sing in a circle]
truly free.
[David passes by the cellblock now with other prisoners]
After you were released,
[He closes the cellblock door]
it became clear to me that you have God’s blessing,
[His eyes linger on a Rough bearded prisoner]
and I wanted to know why.
[The prisoner scowls at him. Daytime in a park.]
Phil helped me find the answer.
[Sitting on a bench Phil hands his phone to David]
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
[David looks up from the phone and stares ahead]
Phil encouraged me to make the truth my own. I had real trouble at first.
[At home they watch the news on tv]
With all the turmoil going on at the time, the idea of being peaceable and waiting on God’s Kingdom, it was hard to grasp.
[In a dimly lit basement Phil peers out a window]
But with Jehovah’s help
[Then turns to a group of brothers and sisters huddled together]
and the patience of these good people,
[Tim stands conducting, tablet and Bible in hand]
I was baptized before the start of the great tribulation.
[David raises his hand and comments. Sitting on crates Carl, Amy, Lena, Becky, Gary, and others turn their eyes to him. Back to the gazebo]
Phil: Joseph,
[Phil smiles]
during our time in prison, the story of your life, your time in prison and how Jehovah was always with you, became a real source of strength for us. I remember one day, Carl said, what did you say?
Carl: I said, one day, we’ll have a meal with Joseph, and we’ll say, thank you.
Phil: And here we are.
Joseph: Really, it’s I who should thank you. Each and every one of your stories touches my heart.
[Olive skinned Joseph grins]
You know a lot about my life, but would it be all right if I shared a few more stories?
Nick: Please. We have so many questions.
Nick’s wife: Can you tell us about Egypt?
Gary: What was Pharaoh really like?
Matt: Dreams. We gotta talk about those dreams.
Joseph: You do have many questions, and I have many details to share, and thanks to our God, Jehovah, we have all the time we need.
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2022 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.)