Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Noah
When I saw Noah, a play in the heart of Amish country, there is a memory that burned its way into my brain further than the menagaerie of live and life-size animated animals embracing the audience with a surround stage. The vision was the transforming of the wooden ark into an old rugged cross, the final curtain. I love streams of continuity but at that time, I had only inklings of how the Bible connects like a magical toy transformer my sons used to love. One minute, you’re looking at an ark and hearing a promise in a rainbow. The next, it is a cross and a promise kept. Peter understood. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:18-21
Noah moved, every detailed instruction followed to perfection, and built the ark by faith. Just to have that kind of clarity in all we do…and then to trust the outcome. Noah lived salvation…it became his reality. He was saved by faith! Not by works…no boasting in Noah. After the flood, he left the ark on a bright, beautiful day and offered sacrifices to the Lord. Noah gave it his everything…he came to the Lord without reservation, believing, trusting and evangelizing! He preached and he left the door wide open for any who would enter salvation.
In the theatre, the audience was “in the ark”, safe from God’s penalty and death. The door is still open as I write this but I don’t know about the next minute. One little thing though, we may go in as a spectator—wanting to see God as He truly is—yearning for His comforting promises—basking in His amazing grace, but when the show’s over, there are many more who haven’t gone through the door yet, who still see a silly boat sitting on dry land.
Noah moved, every detailed instruction followed to perfection, and built the ark by faith. Just to have that kind of clarity in all we do…and then to trust the outcome. Noah lived salvation…it became his reality. He was saved by faith! Not by works…no boasting in Noah. After the flood, he left the ark on a bright, beautiful day and offered sacrifices to the Lord. Noah gave it his everything…he came to the Lord without reservation, believing, trusting and evangelizing! He preached and he left the door wide open for any who would enter salvation.
In the theatre, the audience was “in the ark”, safe from God’s penalty and death. The door is still open as I write this but I don’t know about the next minute. One little thing though, we may go in as a spectator—wanting to see God as He truly is—yearning for His comforting promises—basking in His amazing grace, but when the show’s over, there are many more who haven’t gone through the door yet, who still see a silly boat sitting on dry land.
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"The vision was the transforming of the wooden ark into an old rugged cross, the final curtain."
That sounds like a great idea - does the play have a website anywhere?
That sounds like a great idea - does the play have a website anywhere?
Hi Sven!
Found a site for Sight & Sound Theatre but my poor old comp can't deal with it. Hope it's good.
Found a site for Sight & Sound Theatre but my poor old comp can't deal with it. Hope it's good.
Marvellous post! I liked this very much - particularly the correlation with the wood of the ark to the cross and the rainbow to the promise. Sounds like a great play. Thanks.
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