“I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand” – Ancient Proverb.
When God created us He adorned our lives with humour, pathos, fragility, and strength. These unique traits provide brilliant opportunities for artistry and Scripture to come together. Little wonder that the prophets of old reinforced their message through the dramatic form, that the incarnation is the greatest drama ever, or that communion is a vivid memorial of Jesus’ last supper with His disciples.
The concept of artistry and Scripture coming together came sharply into focus for me when I came to faith in Christ during a time of revival on the university campuses in South Africa. Within months of discovering Jesus, I was involved in a street drama group that performed fast-moving biblical sketches in the corridors and lecture halls of the Johannesburg College of Education. It was an exciting period in my life filled with the joy of seeing hundreds of fellow students embracing Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
From first-hand experience, I’m keenly aware of the power of drama to connect people with Jesus and His Story. Drama, rightly harnessed, can be used by the Holy Spirit to bring us close to the Word and bring the Word close to us. And more. Drama is a gift from God to help us explore the Word, enjoy it, be moved and provoked by it.
It’s time to act. Many people are kinesthetic learners, i.e. they learn by doing. For people who learn by doing, dramatizing Scripture is one of the best ways for them to engage with the Bible.
Dramatizing Scripture involves connecting with God’s Word through some kind of performance like an impromptu skit, sketch, rehearsed play, dramatic reading, playback theatre, street drama, dance drama, mime, monologues, or reader’s theatre.
The key elements in dramatizing Scripture include a careful and prayerful reading of the Scripture text, writing a script, rehearsing and performing, and inviting a response.
Through dramatizing Scripture we get to see ourselves in the Word, find ways to connect our lives to the Word, and learn to come alive to the Word. Phil Collins, Director of Scripture Engagement at Taylor University says, “We tend to put ourselves into good stories that are acted well, ‘trying on’ for ourselves what characters are thinking and feeling, often seeing ourselves and the world in a new way.”
That to say there are many benefits to dramatizing Scripture:
- ideal for visual or kinesthetic learners
- is a medium for creative and artistic people to engage with the Word
- reminds us that the Word is about real people with real emotions
- helps us see ourselves in the Story
- enables actors to physicalize the Scriptures
- provides a means for us to grasp and pursue the Word
- touches us in different ways from words by themselves
- directs attention more sharply on the things about Jesus which demand our worship
While there are many benefits to dramatizing Scripture, there are potential pitfalls that need to be avoided. Dramatizing Scripture should never be seen as a way to make God’s Word attractive, exciting, or interesting. And it should never be about entertainment for entertainment’s sake. Thinking we can somehow make God’s Word more appealing should be an anathema.
So here’s to dramatizing Scripture, and doing it not for the sake of performance, but to meaningfully connect us with the Word so that we connect with the One who is the Word.
Recommended Resources:
Siewert, Alison. Drama Team Handbook, InterVarsity Press, 2003.
Watters, Sandra. Scripture Alive in Your Classroom With Drama, WestBow Press, 2015.
The Sourceview Bible – www.sourceviewbible.com
© Scripture Union Canada 2019