From Jesus to Judas. From Messiah to traitor. You may wonder, 'How does this go?' Well, this particular case can be linked to one particular person.

His name is Martin Norz. He had the role of Jesus already twice before. Last year in April, however, he was – what could be considered – "demoted" to play the role of Judas at this year's Passion Play at Oberammergau (which begins on May 15 and ends on October 3; I have access to tickets for the performance on June 29). Although Norz himself does not regard this assignment as a demotion, he told the local newspaper ("Merkur") – in his thick Bavarian accent – that he was glad to have yet another major part in the Passion Play.

With that, it seems that this transformation from Jesus to Judas is one that is reserved to the world of theater. (The Bible, on the other hand, tells us amazing stories of transformation and conversion; just see the examples of Peter and Paul.)

As you might know, the Passion Play at Oberammergau has a long tradition. It was established long before Mel Gibson released his version of "The Passion of the Christ." And to put the long tradition in perspective: the table for the Last Supper scene has been used since the 1780s; it is almost as old as the independence of this country!

The origins of the Passion Play go back to 1633. It was not only the time of the Thirty Years War in Europe, but a plague also killed people in the thousands. After months of suffering (many people died in the community) the residents of this scenic village in the Bavarian Alps pledged to perform – every ten years – the "The Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ." The first performance took place on Whitsun in 1634. The stage was set up in the cemetery above the graves of the victims of the plague.

Most of the whole town is involved. Some 2,000 people form the cast (a part in the Play is reserved to residents of Oberammergau only) to bring the story of Jesus to life on stage. It is also interesting to note that the Passion Play Theater with its 4,700 seats holds about as many people as there are residents in Oberammergau.

Initially, the Passion of Jesus was not some play on a stage but an occurrence in real life. And as we approach Holy Week (Palm Sunday is on March 28), it is not our intention to put on a rivaling Passion play of our own. Rather, Holy Week invites us – once again – to hear this central message of our faith about Jesus' final week in Jerusalem (and about Judas's part in it as well). It is a story about life and death. Jesus' death on the cross left his disciples in sorrow. But the message of his resurrection set a new faith movement in motion.

We may not be Martin Norz, an actor on the stage of the Passion Play Theater. But each one of us has a crucial role to play in God's glorious story of salvation. For we are all called to share the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, truly a story of hope and promise!

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Bjoern E. Meinhardt, Pastor

P.S. If you wish to get some more information on the upcoming trip to Central Europe (June 22 through July 2), which includes the Passion Play in Oberammergau, there will be a meeting at the church on Sunday, March 7 at 12 noon.