I entered the darkened auditorium and made my way down the aisle, descending the long steps toward the middle of the theater with foot lights guiding my way. Most of the black velvet seats were empty, so I took my place in a row in the center, with a clear view of the stage. The play was already underway. The actors, the set, the props, were all before me, with the drama unfolding as I watched. The performance lasted only a few minutes. It was very short, but the message reverberated throughout the auditorium long after it was over.
When the performance ended, the curtains did not close. The stage lights dimmed slightly, but the houselights remained off and the theater remained darkened. There was no applause and no one left their seat. Everyone continued to observe the stage to contemplate what they had witnessed. They mused on the message and considered what they could learn to make it their own, to assimilate it into their own person. They received instruction and gained knowledge and grew wiser. I remained in the theater with them and we grew wiser together.
I have been to Theatre Israel many times. Sometimes the play boasts large armies with mighty kings facing-off in thrilling, fierce battles. Sometimes angelic scenes brilliantly illuminate the auditorium with light. Other times, quiet, heart-felt dialogue between a few performers are the only activity in the spotlight of the stage. In other productions, a sage addresses the audience, revealing wisdom from above. At times during the narration, fools or wise men enter the stage to illustrate their point. During my other visits, I have watched apostles and prophets declare fiery truths or console with the compassion of God. In some very special showings, the Messiah Himself conveyed pure, profound truths to eager listeners. Regardless of the genre, every performance holds truths that can be learned – messages worthy of our time and meditation, which spring from the fountain of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
The Source
All scripts for Theatre Israel have already been written - written with meticulous care and precision. But the truths that they teach will never run dry, nor fail to fulfill, since they flow from the fountainhead, eternal and divine. As the performances unfold, the audience closely attends to the points, the counter points, the obvious, and the irony. No words are wasted – each thought is a special treasure from God Himself.
Where Does it Begin?
I have spent countless years meditating in Theatre Israel. I have seen and heard themes repeated over and over during my lifetime. But it was only after many years of musing that the peculiar anomalies and strange paradoxes began to make sense. I was slowly and gradually able to gain a glimpse of the greater picture. At first, it was difficult to put the pieces together. The volume of profound information was overwhelming, but it finally occurred to me that my own presuppositions about the meanings were preventing me from understanding the message. But as presuppositions gave way to objectivity, truth began to surface before my eyes. It was as simple as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – the perspective that I will adopt His ways as my ways.
This is where it begins, and even though we will never know where it ends, we can savor the journey through the land of Truth.
Have you been to Theatre Israel? I invite you to join me sometime for an evening of quiet observation and reflection. For a time of musing, understanding, and reforming. Those who have attended the performances frequently meet to discuss the message and express how it affected and changed them. They speak of their new understanding and how it will affect their thoughts and their lives. They sometimes visit in the vestibule and sometimes excitedly explain their insights over dessert or drink. Their eyes have been opened and their hearts have been filled. They came to the fountain, they feasted at the table, and they learned from the Author of Life. Their orientation changed in profound ways, to abandon their past and embrace a new way, the ancient way.
