Rio de Janeiro, Brazil :: Lives are being transformed as God works through a play performed on board Logos Hope.
C. S. Lewis’ novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been adapted as a play and is performed weekly on board Logos Hope, with the vessel’s crewmembers acting in and staging the entire production. The story centres on one of four siblings, who strays from his family after being tempted by the White Witch (who represents Satan), but the boy is finally saved, after many adventures, by the mighty lion, Aslan, who represents Jesus Christ.
The play is an allegorical message about redemption mankind needs and the forgiveness offered by God, which the play’s director, Claire*, explains more fully to the audience at the end of each show. After one performance in Rio de Janeiro, the actors learnt that a 15-year-old girl named Bono had attempted suicide three days before, and had attended the play. “She was with three women who clearly loved her and were hoping that God would reach her heart that day,” Claire explains.
“I didn't know Bono was in the crowd. But God did.” Claire continues, “The words I spoke came out differently to before, addressing the shame I had felt in my past that disabled me from even looking at myself in the mirror. After the show, Bono came to me, and I was able to hold her and pray with her.”
In the performance that followed, another group was in the audience. Crewmember Francisco* is part of a team that visits red-light districts to reach those who work in prostitution with the message of the gospel. The team had invited the women and their children to come on board to visit the ship and watch the play. Eighteen children came with three adults.
“God provided everything. We asked if we could get a discount to pay for all of them but in the end, we got them all in for free,” Francisco chuckles. “God even made it possible for us to give them hot chocolate and ice cream! In the end, they didn’t want to go, they were holding onto us. Many things happened for the good of the kingdom.”
Claire says, “The message they were receiving throughout the day was that Jesus loves them, and He alone can save.” Even though the audience members do not always come up to tell crew their situation, Claire and her colleagues know that God touches hearts at each one of the shows they perform.
*Names changed