Local "Passion" vs Global "Passion"
Category: Faith...
Posted Wednesday, March 17, 2004 at 11:09 AM [GMT-6]

In a comment left on yesterday's post, in which I referred to the rather hectic rehearsal schedule for our church's "passion play," Mr. Freen asked the following questions:

Those are good questions, and, in fact, I anticipated them a few weeks ago in this post entitled "Will 'The Passion' Dampen Passion For Passion Plays?".

I concluded that short post thusly:

Now that I'm seeing the actual production, albeit in a pretty disjointed and rough fashion, I'm even more convinced that we're talking apples and oranges. So, I offer the following list: "Ways in which our 'Passion Play' differs from 'The Passion of the Christ'"

1. Our production endeavors to present the entire Gospel, and doesn't focus on the crucifixion. In that regard, this is not truly a "passion play," but we use that term for lack of a better description. (In the beginning, years ago, we called it an "Easter Pageant," but that has misleading connotations.)
   
   Don't get me wrong; the crucifixion is a key part of the presentation, and it's presented in a fairly straightforward and even graphic manner. But the life and ministry of Jesus is given top billing, and His resurrection is the true climax.


2. Our production is evangelistic in focus. Our main goal is to bring people to an understanding of how they can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ; providing a worship experience for believers is important but secondary. I'm still convinced that "The Passion of the Christ" is primarily edifying to the believer.


3. We don't introduce any extra-Biblical characters, at least not in scenes with Scriptural context (more about that in a second). We push the edge a bit by giving names to a few Biblical characters who go unnamed in the actual Gospel accounts, and allow them to give voice to the impact Jesus made on their lives (these include a shepherd who was present at the announcement of Jesus' birth, the leper cured by Jesus who returned to thank Him, and a woman who was cured from an 18-year-long sickness. I'll let you find those Scriptural references on your own; they're there...trust me!).
   
   This "artistic license" gets back to our underlying goal: bringing people to Jesus. How do you best do that? By telling about your firsthand experience with the Lord. There's no more powerful witness than saying, "here's how Jesus has changed my life." So, we let these characters provide that witness.


4. Our production prominently features a pumpjack. See, the storyline alternates between a contemporary setting, focused on an oilfield worker who's learning about the true meaning of Easter, and an historical setting in which Jesus lives, teaches, ministers, dies and defeats death. So, while we do have non-Biblical characters, they're not used in a Scriptural setting.


5. Satan doesn't make an appearance in our presentation. A few years ago, Satan was a character in the script. He was played in an over-the-top fashion, complete with long black cape, and he scared some of the younger kids. So, he hasn't been invited to return.


6. You can get a [non-pirated] DVD of our presentation shortly after Easter! Yep...we're now taking pre-orders, and the DVD will include extras like program commentary, behind-the-scenes montage, outtakes (?!), trailer and casting calls. Don't ask me why. We apparently have the technical wherewithal to do it, and so we are.

There are many other differences between most locally-produced Easter presentations and the film. They are intended for different purposes and different audiences. Seeing one should not affect whether you see the other. In both cases, however, the hope is that you'll see God more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly.