Brisbane School of Theology (BST) recently shared the following story on Facebook:
When Spencer volunteered to take part in The Mark Drama at BST, he didn’t expect to be asked to play Jesus, or how deeply it would shape his understanding of Him.
“When they asked me, I was definitely quite nervous. My concern was doing it justice. I didn’t want to misrepresent Jesus or blunt the emotional weight of the story.”
As he prepared, Spencer immersed himself in Scripture, studying the person of Jesus and His heart for people.
“Being the kind of person that I am, I started frantically reading a lot of books, people’s perspectives on the character of Jesus and his heart for people. I think that sort of grounded me a little bit. In Greek class, we were studying Mark, so some of it was fresh in my mind, which was helpful.”
Rehearsing and performing the play brought a fresh perspective on the life and ministry of Jesus.
“The emotions of The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane, in particular, became much, much more real to me. Having to really dwell on them—and weep and yell in that section of the play—that was very, very impactful.”
But it was the tender moments that surprised him most.
“In the all the various instances where I was playing Jesus healing someone and showing them tenderness, it showed to me the real compassion and the intimacy of a lot of Jesus’s ministry. He went out of his way to touch those who were sick, who were injured, who were possessed, who were outcasts of society—something that was so, so frowned upon in that culture.”
One of the most distinctive elements of The Mark Drama is that it presents the entire Gospel of Mark in a single 90-minute performance. For the audience—and for the cast—this approach makes the story feel more immediate and cohesive.
“Seeing it all in one sitting allowed people to trace the kind of development of Jesus—the slow process of Jesus revealing who he was… to the point where he unveils his coming death. Seeing that unfold in one sitting is a special kind of thing.”
Looking back, Spencer says what stays with him most is the reminder that God works through ordinary people and ordinary means.
“I think again and again I’m surprised by God’s willingness to enact His will through ordinary means… both from the story of the gospel itself and from the experience of being one among a group of regular, flawed people seeking to learn and present that gospel to others.”
The Mark Drama was performed at BST earlier this year, an initiative of our students’ creativity and passion for sharing the gospel.
Original post: https://www.facebook.com/yourBST/posts/pfbid0dS6Zc1PpTcDjpG7YRZJjcCQjyfFZqUwVrhvTccxAHB4Av3aMdLFamL4wxSjfumbXl
