c. 2008 Religion News Service

CLEVELAND _ Derryl Tanner was working in real estate when the commissions started to dry up. He lost his apartment and found himself living out of his car in a truck depot for two months in the summer of 1997.

His life began to turn around when a casting agent discovered him in 1999.

Tanner quickly moved from an acting extra to a stand-in for Derek Luke and Omar Epps in major movies in 2001 and 2002. From there, he delved into his personal experience in 2003 to write the play “Unseen: Today’s Story of Job.”

Tanner talked about the play, which he now hopes will be made into a movie,during a recent stop here, where he also mused about Job, the life lessons he has learned and the message he hopes the play will give to others.

Q: Why did God take the family, health, reputation and possessions of Job, a righteous man?

A: Job was put into that position because God knew the end before it started. God knew Job would stand. Job was partly a pawn. … But God knew that he was picking his MVP player.

Q: You were living out of a car and borrowing towels from the laundry hamper of a local hotel to wash up. Job kept the faith. How did you?

A: Job had faith when he had everything. Job had faith when every one of his kids died. It’s hard to do. Let’s be real with it. But you gotta do it. You gotta do it. … What it did for me is it kept me sharp. It turned my worst times into my best times. I let my worst times become my testimony. I know that it’s true. I know that it comes from the heart and soul because that’s what happened to me.

Q: How long after that did you write the play?

A: In 2001, I listened to a sermon on Job … and I realized that was going on in my life. People kind of turn their backs on you, where I was living, how I was living. For him (Job) to stand and still come out on top, that message had to get out there. I began writing the play in November 2003 and finished it in February 2004.

Q: Do churches need to pay more attention to suffering people in their midst?

A: There are two sides to that story. In my opinion, the churches should give more support to their congregations. On the flip side of that point, some of us have a tendency of forgetting to get up. God takes care of those who take care of themselves.

Q: What do you pray for?

A: I don’t just say, “Give me, give me, give me.” My prayers consist of asking for the strength for the journey. Don’t move the mountain. Give me the strength to climb the mountain.

Q: Why is the play set in modern times, with Job as a real estate developer brought down by crooked rivals?

A: I used to do real estate (as a loan officer). I’ve seen some good parts of real estate and I’ve seen some really nasty parts of real estate. It is one of the easiest businesses in which you can deceive another person.

Q: One-third of the play is comedy. Why the humor?

A: To ease the pain. To let them know no matter what happens, at some point in time, you’re going to have to smile because life is going on. Humor is healthy. Laughter is healthy.

Q: If you were Job, what would have been the hardest thing to lose?

A: Because I have kids (two teens and an infant), I’d have to say kids. That is the greatest loss. Right after that, I would have to say, is questioning God. When you question God, you have to ask yourself, do you really have faith?

Q: Can you ever imagine anything happening that would cause you to lose your faith?

A: It won’t happen. It’s not going to happen. I’ll die with faith. If on one side, someone said lose your faith and you will live, or keep your faith and you will die, I’m outta here.

(David Briggs writes for The Plain Dealer of Cleveland.)

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