The Greatest Drama Ever Lived

Drama. It entertains and energizes, informs and inspires, challenges and changes us.

So how do we feel about drama in real life? Do we welcome it or run from it?

Shakespeare wrote:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players . . .” (As You Like It, Jacques, Act II, Scene VII).

Shakespeare plunks us all on the stage of life. No choice. Just seven stages of life that begin and end with dependency. Although artistic, his depiction leaves us with a sense of futility.

To be sure, life hands us many surprises. But is this all there is to life? Or is there a meta-drama that transcends and orchestrates the drama of life in which we’re involved? And if there’s a meta-drama, who’s writing the script and directing the production?

Think creation. Insubordination. Incarnation. Crucifixion. Resurrection. Redemption. Eternity.

Then think God.

Who but God would not only craft a master script but also direct, produce, and play the lead role in the incredible drama of redemption?

Drama is often used to portray the events leading up to Easter. And no wonder: The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is filled with drama. Characters with diverse motives and agendas enter and exit, spinning plot reversals that nail Jesus, an innocent man, to the cross. All seems lost.

To be sure, all would be lost except for the meta-drama of redemption that’s going on behind the scenes. It’s the greatest drama ever lived! And it’s the marvelous meta-drama that’s so needed in our world today.

Christ-centered drama can be a vital tool for outreach or discipleship in your church during the Lenten and Easter season. Check out our special offers at www.AlphaStarDrama.com.

Christmas: God’s Great Drama. Surprising or Scandalous?

Scandalous! Is that a word you associate with Christmas?

I’m reading a series of Advent devotionals this year that uses the word repeatedly. To be sure, it catches my attention. That the Creator of the universe willingly chose to clothe Himself in helpless infant flesh shocks me. That He chose a young woman with no special pedigree, an honest but humble carpenter, and shepherds who were regarded as the lowest of the low to be the main characters in this greatest of all dramas stuns me.

But scandalous? The 136 synonyms in my thesaurus all have negative connotations. Would God ever do anything that is disgraceful, shameful, or dishonorable? Of course not. But would His methods be so unorthodox that people in power might view them as scandalous? Quite possibly.

Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the townspeople, Herod, the Magi . . . who among them really understood what was happening?

God surprised them. He continues to surprise us. Drama sketches of Bible characters allow us to see the situation from their viewpoint. As we do, we discover truths that transcend the centuries. We also find  we’re faced with the same dilemma they faced: Will we trust the God who orchestrated this great drama of redemption, or will we judge Him as scandalous? Which is, if you think about it, quite scandalous!