Tonight I had the opportunity to attend the Easter Pageant at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. I had been twice in past years and was amazed, touched, and inspired by the portrayal of the story of Jesus. Having drawn as many as 75,000 visitors a year for the annual performance, they took a year off to totally redesign and rewrite the pageant, so I was particularly anxious to see what it would be like after 2 years of preparation. It was complete with a cast of hundreds, a live orchestra and choir of over 300 voices, special effects, a film sequence displayed on a pair 50’ x 28’ screens, a revolving stage and live animals. The musical score was specially commissioned and developed by two composers... It was all there … and yet somehow, I found myself uninspired… I sat trying to focus, but found myself comparing it to the previous pageant and its impact on me. In my mind, I was critical of the music, the difficulty in viewing one of the screens from where my seat was located, and several other aspects of the performance. I was even conscious of my attitude and tried several times to set it aside and be impacted…until I saw them …
In front of me were two young boys. Ironically enough, I must admit that when they came in and sat in front of me just before the pageant began I thought, “I hope those boys will be quiet and behave so that I can enjoy the pageant.” And they did. I hadn’t noticed them for most of the performance. But then it happened. As the scene shifted from the crucifixion of Christ and the subsequent lamenting and doubting by the disciples into the resurrection scene, I noticed them. The video screens began to show a sequence of a body wrapped in burial cloth in the tomb. As one of the hands began to stretch inside the cloth, one of the boys poked the other and pointed to the screen, his mouth hanging open in awe. Then, in a burst of light, the risen Jesus appeared on the stage in a cloud of fog and spoke to his disciples. The boys jumped with excitement as the disciples began to celebrate the risen Lord. Then as the scene moved on with powerful music, Jesus hugged each of his disciples, and his mother after which, he began to rise up in the air toward a cloud of billowing fog and bright light… The boys’ faces lit up as they sat amazed at the sight of Jesus “ascending into heaven”.
As I sat and watched those two young boys in front of me, I was struck by the sense of wonder … I saw their faces light up with excitement. I saw them sit up in their seat and look at each other. I saw the sense of amazement and awe they felt as they experienced the portrayal of our Lord conquering death. And then it struck me… The two boys that I had thought might be a distraction to my enjoyment of the pageant, were much more focused and much more engaged in the experience than I was. And they were amazed and awestruck. They were filled with wonder and awe.
I wonder… When was the last time that I allowed the story and the scene of the savior’s death and resurrection to stir up a sense of wonder in me? The event I experienced tonight was simply special effects, some film, and a couple of cables and yet those two boys were amazed by it. The real story of Jesus’ death and resurrection is even more astounding than the pageant representation. So why am I not filled each day with a sense of wonder and amazement? That Jesus died for our failures and rejection… that he conquered death and came back to life… That he would suffer excruciating pain, intense humiliation, and complete isolation for those who had rejected him time and time again. That he would endure all of that for me? How could I not be amazed by that story every time? How could I lose my sense of wonder over God’s great love and powerful act of redemption? How could I let it become comfortable? Why don’t I celebrate that fact everyday and not just at Easter?
Thank you boys for reminding me that what Jesus did for us is not just a great thing but also a wondrous thing…