We live about an hour away from a big church that puts on a very good passion play each year.  We took a group of students to see it earlier this week.  I have some experience with drama, mostly on the technical side (sound, lights, set construction).  There are some special effects that work well even in amateur theater  to help the audience suspend their disbelief.  This particular passion play uses a silk screen and shadows to show Jesus being scourged; a little bit of technical effect combined with good acting really sell the scene.

Movies have a whole other dimension of effects available, and today it is hard to tell what is real and what isn’t.  Watching a play or film during Holy Week adds to our understanding by providing visual stimulation.  We can read the story, discuss it, and even share it with others, but seeing and hearing the dramatization can still add to our experience.  There are times when the Bible itself seems to have a flair for the dramatic and God uses some special effects of his own to drive the point home.  After displaying his power and wonders in Egypt, the Hebrews cross the Red Sea on dry land and see Pharaoh’s army crushed by the same water.  Mount Sinai shook and smoldered when God descended onto it.  No other biblical display was greater than on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.  Continue reading →