Hello, fellow pilgrims. I had the good fortune of attending the production of “Joshua” at the Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster this week, and I will be processing the experience for a long time. What an amazing portrayal of Joshua’s journey from The Book of Exodus through Numbers, Deuteronomy, and The Book of Joshua where Jericho falls and the Israelites finally enter into the land promised land. Without going into a full-on review here, I must say that their creative license remained true not only to scriptural details, but also to societal norms of the day, thoughtfully portraying the humanity behind the innumerable difficult decisions that the characters faced as they struggled with divine and human power. There are so many things I could speak to regarding this production, and let me say it brought me to tears several times. But the one scene I would especially like to share with you is the scene in Exodus 19 just as the Israelites are beginning their journey toward the promised land across the Sinai desert. God is preparing to make His presence known (and visible) to them using Mount Sinai as His seat from which He will speak to Moses and pass down the Ten Commandments. A lot of drama ensues as the Israelites who were waiting at the foot of the mountain became impatient and unfaithful. A cycle of humanity that has played out repeatedly from scriptural times to present day. But what touched me so deeply was how Sight & Sound portrayed God’s presence. If I had it on video, I would show you. It looked as though it was portraying what creation must have looked like in the very beginning, at least as I imagine it. It looked like a photo from the Hubble Space Telescope of the birth of a star, only put into motion and set dramatically atop a huge mountain. Gases, colors, lights, thunderous booming—CREATION. It was so impactful! I was immediately overcome by the way that scriptural event was the birth of many things. The birth of leadership, of freedom, of hope, of a pilgrimage across the desert, , of the Ten Commandments, and perhaps even of faith for some (scripturally and in the theatre). How could one not believe when faced with such an encounter? For me, this scene spoke to the beauty and the complexity of faith. In the cosmos, the deaths of stars fuel the births of new stars. When disturbances lead to a star’s death, its elements are dispersed and recycled (sort of like cosmological compost), creating a fertile space for new stars to be birthed and to grow.
The Israelites journey was a lot like the life cycle of stars. All of the elements of their lives in bondage were broken up and dispersed—their bondage died. As they were themselves dispersed into the desert toward new life, they were surely disoriented, afraid, and longing to settle into their new space. As we know, it would take a long while to get there, but along the way they learned how to gather and rely upon elements of faith, hope, love, and survival. It is a beautiful testimony of God’s creative power—of how chaos and disappointment can be elements that lead to beauty, wonder, and a Love that can often lay beyond human understanding.
The way Sight & Sound portrayed God’s presence on that mountaintop beautifully portrayed God’s creative power and unfathomable love.
The book of Exodus tells us:
There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain,
and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God,
and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire.
The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,
and the whole mountain[b] trembled violently.
As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder,
Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exodus 19:16-19
God is listening. Speak.
You are beautiful, and you are beloved.
Angela+