Not Appointed to Suffer

 Greetings from Greece,

 

Well, as of this morning, we finished about three weeks of rather cold Germany and were ready for some warmth, so we headed south.

In spite of the cold and rainy weather, our German pilgrimage left us with two particular images of Jesus. Let me share them with you.  If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know we’ve been on a ‘Martin Luther Reformation tour”.  It was great!  I think we visited every town, hamlet, church and school where he left his mark. Let me say again how much we appreciate Tony’s Bible study group that gifted him with enough to organize a tour that started in Berlin and ended up yesterday in the city of Augsburg.

One of the highlights of the tour was not directly connected to Brother Martin, but was instead a demonstration of what he always advocated: a clear and concise presentation of the Gospel. The event is called “The Passion Play”, and I expect most of you have heard of it, and even some have attended it. I’ve talked to several friends who have included it on their “Bucket List”.

Historically, it was started in the 1630’s in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau, a place that means “Over the Gammer River” in German. The people had been decimated by two waves of the horrific Bubonic plague. The survivors gathered together and prayed, “Lord if you will protect us from this pestilence, we will honour You by presenting Your story to all who will listen.” God did, and they have.

Since then, the “Passion Play” has performed every ten years, only stopping three times, during a couple of wars and during the Covid epidemic. Now that restrictions are easing, they’ve come back to full production. They plan to do it again in 2028 in order to get back in “sync”, and once more in 2030 to celebrate their 500th anniversary. Start making plans!

To be part of the cast, (of around 1000) you must have been born in the village or else have lived there for at least 20 years.  You are required to take the entire year off work (during which time the city pays you) so you can rehearse, and then perform the 5-6 hour play 120 times across the summer.

The play is performed in a ‘new’ building – 120 years old – a half pipe looking thing that will seat 5000. One end is open for the stage, which makes it nice for a summer evening, but rather daunting for the near freezing rain we’ve had all week.  To say the least, even though Tony and I had pretty much ALL the clothes we had packed on our bodies, it was COLD!

The play began at 2:00 in the afternoon and went for 2 ½ hours.  A 2 ½ hour intermission gave us time to have some local schnitzel and thaw out, then we were back at 7:00 for the second half.

All in all, it was the most uncomfortable we’ve been on this trip, but I must say both Tony and I thought it was worth it.  Sadly, no pictures or recordings were allowed, but it was magnificent.  It was all in German, but we had a translation book, so when I finally got my reading classes adjusted, my phone for the light set up and could stop shivering, I could enjoy it.

The second half was entirely focused on the Crucifixion. Pretty depressing, of course, but the huge choir made it not only bearable but a beautiful experience. And it goes without saying that the Resurrection was even more appreciated by all. Our souls were happy because Halleluiah! He arose!! And Halleluiah! It was finally over!

I said at the beginning that we’ve been blessed this trip by two particular images of Jesus. Let me mention the other one. About a month ago, we visited the famous Gaudi work in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia.  You’ve probably seen pictures of what I call an ugly church, still under construction after 150 years.  I have to say, as strange as the outside looks, the inside must be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It literally took my breath away.

There at the front was a huge cross with Jesus hanging there. It is a Catholic church, after all. But we were surprised to see that Jesus is looking up and smiling. ……….similar to the end of the Passion Play.

The guide said, “You need to understand, it’s impossible to hold up your head when you’re nailed to a cross and your whole body weight is supported by nails in your hands and feet. But the sculptor wanted to show us the LIVING JESUS, Who at that moment had died and was now resurrected and looking up at His Father!!

It seems lately that a lot of our friends and acquaintances are experiencing hard times physically, but I want us all to remember that, for the child of God, stepping beyond and going home, there are real reasons for looking up, and for rejoicing.  In the midst of whatever pain we may be experiencing today, there will come a time when God Himself will lift up your head and let you see the Glory that waits. Until then,

Love you,

Marsha

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)