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BTV: Forgiveness

Album: 32: Hidden Treasures

Episode: 410

Lesson/Theme: Forgiveness

Bible Verse: Matthew 18:21-35; 1 Corinthians 13:7

Characters: Bernard, Connie, Eugene

Writer:

Sound Designer:

Original Air Date: October 10, 1998

Last Air Date: August 18, 2009

Description:
Eugene Meltsner and Bernard Walton are at the garbage dump for the latest edition of "B-TV." Eugene hints that there is a special significance to having the show at the dump. Bernard begins to tell the story of Cozy Creek, where Parson Brown tells his parishioners that he has invited the Big Bad Wolf to church. His congregation is shocked, especially Ralphie, spokespig for the Three Little Pigs. Goldilocks defends her friend, Wally, the Big Bad Wolf, as does Parson Brown, who claims Wally has changed so much that he is now a vegetarian. Red Riding Hood is worried that this new attitude is just a trick, but Parson Brown encourages the villagers to encourage Wally, just as Old King Cole has. Ralphie keeps refusing to forgive, so Red Riding Hood shares a letter Wally has written asking forgiveness for his treatment of her and her grandmother, though she admits she is still not sure Wally's changed. Wally comes to the church, supposedly to meet with Ralphie to ask his forgiveness for what he has done to the Three Little Pigs, but it turns out to be a trick! As the wolf prepares to attack, he suddenly has a change of heart and confesses that he is part of a scam by Ralphie to buy people's land cheaply and sell them brick houses because they think the wolf can blow their houses down. All the king's horses and all the king's men arrest Ralphie, and Wally asks their forgiveness for his behavior. They all forgive him and invite him to join them at Horner's Cafe. An episode of "Israel's Most Wanted" features Bubba Servanti, a fugitive who--though he was forgiven a huge debt by the king--refuses to forgive his fellow servant who owes him a small amount. An episode of "Forgiveness in Action," live from King's Way Elementary School, portrays Verna Shemphill's attempts to continue to forgive Billy Rebowski, who pulls her hair over and over again, each time asking for her forgiveness. At the end of the show, Eugene reveals that the dump is the site for this episode because forgiveness is like taking out the trash and allowing it to be hauled off to be recycled into something fresh and clean.

Questions:
With help from the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Big Bad Wolf, the gang from Odyssey goes back on the air with a valuable lesson on forgiveness. What happened to Bubba when he didn't forgive the debt of his fellow servant? Was the King right in doing this? Why was it so hard for Ralphie to forgive the Big Bad Wolf? Has it ever been hard for you to forgive someone? Can you think of a time when someone forgave you? How did that make you feel?