After many years of talking about attending the Mormon Easter Pageant, and one year even going (too late to get a seat, so we returned home), tonight my friend Bec invited me, we took a picnic dinner, and I actually saw the show!
It is a production. I'm talking about a HUGE production, a cast of a hundred or more, horses, lambs, donkeys, doves, angels, Romans, Apostles, Adam, Eve . . . everything but the kitchen sink, and had their been indoor plumbing in those days I'm pretty sure it would have been thrown in there somewhere. Ok, that sounds a little more critical than I intended. I had some gripes with the staging of the play, but it was well done, and VERY well attended. I asked one of the several missionaries who approached us after the show what he thought the attendance was, and he replied that there were TEN THOUSAND chairs set up. TEN THOUSAND, and from what I could see, every one of them was filled, and many more families had brought blankets and were sitting on the grassy lawn surrounding all the chairs.
I realized a couple of things tonight. One is that religion is intensely personal. What moves one person has little or no effect on another. Visually the pageant was gorgeous, from the set, to the costumes, the dancing . . . amazing. But spiritually, for me, it was too much. The dialogue was completely pre-recorded and the actors lip-sync throughout the play . . . one of the things that I find moving about going to church is the emotion in people's voices when they discuss their love of God. Canned soundtrack, while well enunciated and easily heard and understood, lacked all the emotion, and for me fell short of communicating the love of God that was professed.
The other thing I realized tonight is how much I enjoy the company of my friend Bec. I don't see her much since my job transfer, and we are both busy and frustrated at work. But it is her friendship, and her open and honest and pure faith that inspires me much more than any pageant drawing ten thousand or ten million could ever do. She's a fellow rock in this stream, and may her God shine all his light on her, and grant her all those dreams that she so richly deserves to come true. Thanks for the invite tonight.
1 comment:
I'm all teared up, and full of gratitude for you and for your faith in me. I've mentioned it before - regardless of whether organized religion fits your heart and soul, you are a woman of incredible faith (and you always have been). It is you who has always reminded me 'Something good is coming' and 'You know, things happen the way they're supposed to' and 'Things happen for a reason'. Your faith, inspiration, honesty, and small-town goodness :) are some of the greatest blessings in my life. What would I do without you, my friend?!
And with all my heart, may the God that I believe in pour out His love and blessings upon you and your family and life as well!
Happy Easter weekend, girl. I love ya!
Post a Comment