A controversial character

I went along to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyceum Theatre a few weeks ago. It's something I had never seen before and wanted to take in. I’d been warned beforehand that there were some protestors outside – so I expected to see perhaps some militant atheists on the warpath. In fact the protestors were Christians, objecting that the rock-opera wasn’t the true Gospel according to the King James Bible.

Personally, I thought the musical was very well acted and produced and thought provoking too. I met people who found it helped their spiritual lives, others thought it just entertaining, and a few didn’t like it much. Many actors told me they found the experience life-changing.

Of course, in a way, the protestors were right – this wasn’t the undiluted Word of God – it was an interpretation of the life and death of Jesus by artists. It focuses too much on the interplay between Jesus and Judas, and the other disciples. Jesus is seen as ‘just a man’, caught up in events beyond his control – rather than the Son of God who is here on a mission of salvation. The musical ends with the desolation of the crucifixion and merely hints at a hope for the future – rather than showing the amazing historic events of the resurrection.

Christians have always wrestled with the issue of how to portray Jesus to the world. There have been some who don’t want any portrayal of Jesus, no images, paintings, plays, films or TV – because no matter how good they can be they will all miss something of Jesus’ divine uniqueness. It's safer to stick with the written Word.

Other Christians see Jesus as the image of the invisible God, come to show us what God is like, and they relish different interpretations in art and drama – because through each one we can catch a glimpse of something new in the divine character.

So it's with some trepidation that we put on the Good Friday Passion Play in the town centre, and stage Easter drama presentations for Crewe Primary schools. We take some artistic licence, but work hard to be true to the words and actions of our Lord, and always to encourage people to come to know him better for themselves.

Jesus will always be a controversial character; may we all be provoked, and grow in faith this Eastertide.