Dear Parishioners,
On Easter Sunday eve, a live
performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar
was aired on national TV. Before I
watched it, I wondered if I should put on some bell bottom pants and a tie dye
t-shirt to get in the mood. What’s the buzz? . . . Tell me what’s
a-happening . . . . Perhaps a bit dated.
The fact that two musicals
about Jesus (Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar) came to the
big stage at about the same time (c. 1971) tells us of the continual curiosity
and fascination with the identity of Jesus Christ and his Gospel message. Every generation must ask itself what it
makes of the person of Jesus and his claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ Superstar may contain some catchy, vintage tunes, but
it misses the mark as a statement of faith for Christians. It is simply too shallow in its understanding
of many mysteries of our Christian faith and its core beliefs.
First, depending on the visual
interpretation, the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalen has regularly
been questioned as inappropriate. I Don’t Know How to Love Him can
certainly imply something more than simply a platonic relationship between the
two. Granted, secular societies cannot
grasp the value of celibacy and chastity and wonder if it is even possible. Does everyone have someone on the side? Was Mary Magdalen romantically in love with
Jesus? I am sure that Jesus loved
Mary Magdalen in the way that God loves us all.
But to imply something further—even sexual—seems
to cross the line.
The portrayal of Jesus’ apostles
and disciples might be categorized as ignorant buffoons. Judas, however, seems to be the one carefully
calculating, deliberately questioning and generally pragmatic in his approach
to Jesus. The request by Peter and Mary
Magdalen near the end (Could We Start
Again Please?) seems reminiscent of a child’s do-over, once they realized the error of their ways.
Where there is an obvious lack of
understanding by the creators of this musical is in the portrayal of the
institution of Holy Eucharist. For all you care, this wine could be my
blood . . . For all you care, this
bread could be my body. While the
next few lyrics become more definitive, the initial use of the word could leaves a person questioning and
with some uncertainty about what just transpired. The treatment of the Holy Eucharist, in my
opinion, is horribly deficient and lacking mystery.
Finally, the premise of the
entire show questions whether Jesus was indeed some Superstar. Tragically, there
is avoidance of any definitive statement concerning his Resurrection from the dead, and any definitive
identification as the Son of God.
I realize that the creators of
the musical were probably more concerned with its entertainment value and overall
popularity more than any statement of faith. Jesus was portrayed like any
important, influential, historical figure.
However, for a believer, the musical leaves one hungering for more
substance, more understanding, more faith.
To achieve this, I suggest reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures instead.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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