Another Man's Shoes
Luke 10:30-37
31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."Matthew 7:1
“Another Man's Shoes” is episode #419 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on March 27, 1999.
Summary
Whit's new invention, the Transmuter, allows Jared DeWhite to walk in the shoes of a school bully for a day.
Plot
Jared DeWhite hates gym class because of the bully Brock Blakley. After a confrontation with the bully, Jared gets even by taking his soccer shoes. When he and Dwayne Oswald tell Whit, he reprimands Jared for stealing and instructs him to return the shoes, but the team has already left. Whit tells him it's better to love your enemies than demand an eye for an eye, and that Brock would be easier to love if Jared knew more about him. Whit decides that this would be a good time to try out his new invention, the Transmuter. They place Brock's shoes on the machine, and Jared steps inside them. When the process is complete, Jared is shocked to look in the mirror and realize he looks and sounds like Brock! Dwayne walks in, sees Brock, and immediately runs away. At school the same day when he sees some bullies picking on Dwayne, he intervenes and instructs them to leave Dwayne alone. He tries to convince Dwayne he's Jared, but Mr. O Donald thinks he's bullying Dwayne and sends him to the principal's office. Principal Skinner expresses his disappointment that he's not being a better example despite the fact that he is 15 years old. Jared is astounded to learn this news, but is even more surprised when Floyd delivers a package of flower seeds Brock ordered. Events culminate when his drunken father bullies him, calls him a sissy, and destroys his flower garden. Jared suddenly wakes up in the workshop and discovers that the Transmuter allowed him to experience Brock's present life in a controlled atmosphere. Jared struggles with interpreting his experience. Should he just excuse Brock because he has a bad life and not hold him responsible for his actions? Whit encourages him to pray more intelligently and treat Brock with kindness and patience instead of revenge. The next day, Brock's shoes are returned to him with a package of flower seeds and a note that a friend is praying for him. Brock is touched.
Discussion Questions
- What were some of the reasons Jared discovered that made Brock the way he was?
- Jared asked if this meant Brock wasn't responsible for his actions. What did Whit say?
- Can you think of anyone in your life like Brock?
- How do you think you should treat them?
Cast
Heard in episode
Mentioned in episode
Character | Mentioned By |
---|---|
Eugene Meltsner | Jared DeWhite |
Mrs. DeWhite | Dwayne Oswald |
Notes
- Trivia
- This is the first, and, thus far, only episode to feature the Transmuter, another invention of Whit's that is similar to the Imagination Station and Room of Consequence. It was alluded to at the end of #408: “Malachi's Message, Part 3”, when Whit got the inspiration for the Transmuter.
- The "shoe-stealing" idea from this episode was also used in #282: “The Fundamentals”. Ironically, Chad Reisser who provides the voice for the bully Brock Blakley in this episode also voices the victim Phil McFarland in that episode. Here, Phil is more like Jared than Brock, in that he was the one being bullied and stole the bully's shoes.
- This episode marks Dwayne Oswald's final appearance (not counting the retrospective #500: “500”). This may be due to Kris Kachurak's changing voice.
Reviews
Quotes
Jared DeWhite: That's Dwayne, a tower of Jell-O.
Joe Blakley: Well, well, look-y who we got here. A chip off the old Brock.
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