Spreading the Light

There are some penetrating verses in Isaiah chapter 9 the point to the Light, the true Light, who came into the world. We can see these words:
2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

Later in the chapter, we see this familiar verse:
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus has come into the world, and we are about to embark on the season in which we celebrate His birth.  He came as a human being, as a man, so that He could redeem fallen humanity, qualified to die in our place.  Now, He has sent us into the world, to testify to His greatness, to tell the story of what He has done and to reflect the life change that He brings. We can consider how God would use us to tell His story in a compelling way, shining the light of His truth.

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As we see in Matthew 13, Jesus had just finished the parable of the sower, when he declared:
9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

We then find:
10 ...the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

The Christmas story has been told in many ways throughout the years.  From Christmas cantatas in churches to movies that highlight the birth of Jesus, the expression His coming to earth has been communicated.

Well, enter a new way to tell the story - through a musical!  Full of original music.  

That's the concept of Journey to Bethlehem, which hits theaters in less than a month.  It's the brainchild of Adam Anders, who is no stranger to the musical genre.  Movieguide quoted him as saying, “Jesus is still alive, and this is where it all began,” adding, “You just pinch yourself, it’s a dream come true, walking around, this whole thing.”  Anders is director and producer of the film.  Another producer, Adam Powell, who is no stranger to Christian filmgoers, stated, "From the very beginning, how to learn to tell a story about the fact that God has bigger plans for us and even we have for ourselves. I hope that at the end of the fun and the music that they are reminded of that truth..."

A Christian Post article notes:

Nearly two decades ago, God put the idea for a live-action musical about the Nativity, from Mary and Joseph’s engagement until the birth of Jesus Christ, on Anders’ heart — but it wasn’t until recently that he felt called to put his extensive training toward a faith-based project.

“It’s been a process, and I've been working with the best for the best in the business for the last 17 years, and you learn things,” Anders reflected.

Anders shared:

“I was in school. Obviously, I was involved in many stories that weren't things that I would want to tell as a storyteller. But that's one of those things that we all deal with in all of our jobs: How are you in the world and not of the world? Nothing is more front and center than living in Hollywood and working as a Christian. You're kind of a man on an island. It's been hard at times, but I felt like that's where I'm supposed to be; I don't think all Christians should disengage from culture. I think if we can affect culture where pop culture is created, that's where we should be. But now, I’m at a part of a time in my life where I’m ready to tell my stories. And this is the most important story in my life.”

According to The Christian Post, Anders said: "I wanted to find a way to bring this story to people who maybe aren't believers and do it in a way that's not watered down, but also it's digestible for everyone. And that's a balance … I think music is a great way to do it.”

Adam Anders is an example of someone who wants to tell a story, and to do so in a fresh way.  As it's been said before, Jesus presented His story in a fresh way, through parables.  He believed that was a way to communicate truth to people that might not have a propensity to understand spiritual concepts. Anders' approach is to use the style of a musical, in which characters sing and even dance, in order to present the story of Christ's birth.  We can ask ourselves, "how are we telling the story?"  The story of what Jesus has done for us, that is.  Or, even a more basic concept, "are we telling the story?"  Perhaps, God can inspire a creative way for you to relate truth to others in a compelling and clear way.

Adam Anders has worked in Hollywood, apparently, for quite some time.  And, his desire is to shine the light of Christ into some rather dark places.  In fact, The Christian Post article includes this quote: “There's a lot of dark content being made in Hollywood. I love this as counterprogramming to that. I love that this brings joy and light, but number one, I want people to sit down every Christmas and go, ‘This is what we are celebrating...’”  We cannot always avoid the dark places, certainly, and perhaps, in partnership with the presence of Jesus in us, we can be used of Him to testify to His light.