OPINION: He strapped on sandals …

Our granddaughter recently had an important birthday and requested that we join her in going to Branson and attending the show called "Jesus" at the Sight and Sound Theatre. I'm glad she did. They always do an outstanding job presenting religious themes at this theatre, and this one was exceptional. In fact, I think it is the best portrayal of Jesus of any show or film that I have seen -- certainly, if not the best, one of the best. It is extremely powerful and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Some of the themes may be lost to young children, but they will get the message anyway and be impressed.

One of the reasons for the success of this show is found in the guidelines the producers accepted as they developed it. I quote, "When we first set sail on this production, we immersed ourselves in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As we did, one word kept rising up in our minds: rescue. As we read and reread the stories of the Savior, an overwhelming sense of God's love filled our hearts -- love that rescues -- that was it. That was the anchor that kept this portrayal of Jesus from drifting into the waters of endless possibilities."

The producers continued, "He (Jesus) left heaven ... he lived among us ... he strapped on sandals, rolled up his sleeves, embraced the untouchables, pursued the outcasts, opened the eyes of the blind, delivered the tormented, healed the sick, walked on water and reached into the lives of those sinking beneath the storms of life. But he did not come just to rescue these few." They conclude by saying, "What you are about to experience is not a history lesson on the most famous person ever to walk the earth. It is not even necessarily a story of Jesus' life. It's a story of Jesus' love which, we believe, is life."

I was impressed. There are too many snares that entrap people into the ideologies of personal theology and create myriads of churches and religious expression. Ignoring these in favor of focusing upon Jesus' love is central and significant.

There is a lot of sound in this production representing the power of God, various storms, wind and the noise accompanying lightening. It was exciting to see the 12 disciples on a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a powerful storm came up and they feared their boat would capsize and throw them into the sea. I have been on the Sea of Galilee and can attest that such storms really do come upon this biblical sea. Suddenly, they see Jesus coming toward them walking on the water (a neat trick considering the size of the waves) and Peter asks for permission to walk on the water and go meet Jesus. Jesus invites him to come and Peter walks a little way and then takes his eyes off Jesus and looks down at the water. Of course, he immediately begins to sink. Jesus reaches down and grabs his hand and arm and pulls him up out of the water. To which, Peter immediately thanks Jesus and asks if he is going to rescue the others in the boat. But Jesus replies with the theme of the show by saying, "I did not come just to rescue only these; I came to rescue everyone!"

We saw this theme in the book and film "The Shack," and heard Jesus exclaim that he did not come into the world for just Christians, but for everyone. This is a powerful message that is somehow missed by too many religious groups which tend to focus upon themselves and not the lost people in the world. It's tough being a religious leader these days. You have to espouse the theology and biblical teaching of the people around you, and be careful you do not invite the wrong kind of people to worship. It is amazing that Jesus does not focus upon our differences; he focuses upon the things that hold us together.

Our granddaughter is afraid of storms that produce thunder, and I pointed out to her what Jesus did when the storm was so powerful and the thunder so loud. He stretched out his hand and said, "Peace be still," and the wind subsided, the waters became calm and the thunder went away. Jesus is more powerful than the thunderstorms, and as long as a person has Jesus in his or her life, there is no reason to fear. Jesus overcomes the storms of our lives and provides a peace that the world too often does not understand; it is the peace of God letting us know that He is always with us and will never forsake those who call upon His name.

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Robert Box has been a law enforcement chaplain for 30 years. He is a master-level chaplain with the International Conference of Police Chaplains and is an endorsed chaplain with the American Baptist Churches USA. He also currently serves as a deputy sheriff chaplain for the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Opinions expressed in the article are the opinions of the author and not the agencies he serves.