Saturday 23 April 2011

Trafalgar Square: The Passion of Jesus

Bridges and Tangents has posted on this year's passion play in Trafalgar Square. I went, meeting up with extended family members there for the 12 noon performance. It was very hot, but there was a great sense of dramatic build up to key points in the narrative. The number of people present - significantly more than for the "rehearsal" performance last year - meant that the performance area was more restricted.

I was struck this year as last by the way in which religious can be seen mingling with the ordinary people in the crowd - their visible presence having its own evangelising impact. There were also lots of young adults in the audience, with a real mix of backgrounds.

And my second, over-riding thought, is that something like this represents the new evangelisation writ large at the cultural centre of our country.

Archbishop Nichol's final words urged us to boast in Christ, and him crucified, rather than in all those other things represented in the square about which we might (rightly) be proud: the art and beauty of the National Gallery, the achievements of industry and commerce, the forthcoming Olympic games represented by the count-down clock in the square.

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