Drama, The Visual Language Part 1

Drama, The Visual Language Part 1 By Howi Tiller

The last twenty years for the church have been years of great change. The message has not and cannot change. However, there seems to be an awakening and openness in respect to changes in the method by which we communicate the message. As an evangelist/dramatist who travels extensively across the United States, I am witnessing an evolution in evangelistic efforts and our approach to winning souls. The prevailing question is asked, "how do we win this generation"? Pastors and church leaders are concerned that the church of today isn't reaching today's mind-set. In our efforts to find the missing ingredient we most often miss the simple method that Jesus gave to us by example. Jesus taught by painting a story with words. Not just stories, but stories or parables that were relative to his generation and specifically to whom he was speaking to at that given moment. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir, or notes, (this is not to say that we shouldn't have them) and yet he delivered the essence of Heaven to everyday common folk on earth. Maybe we should look at how Jesus really ministered. He was being dramatic when he knelt in the sand and wrote a message in the sand with His finger. He was being dramatic when He told the story of the, "Rich man and Lazarus", and when he described the law of the sewer when He said, "A man went out to sew seed. Some fell on rocky soil and some on fertile soil"... and so on. His stories appealed to the emotion and yet His words were also able to touch the intellect of mankind. It didn't matter if he was talking about finances, agriculture, marriage, birth or death, Jesus' stories were relative and timely. Jesus told the story, "A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and on his way he fell among thieves. He was beaten, robbed and left for dead". What is the significance of the story? The person He was telling the story to was a lawyer. Jesus knew the lawyer would understand the story of a crime. Jesus' communication was relative, timely and interesting. What He had to say was heavenly with human application. I think it would be wise if we took a closer look at the dramatic way in which Christ addressed life's issues through truth and principles. If we were to measure Christ's method of communicating with what we think today's standard is, Christ would be a failure. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir or a program. There isn't anything wrong with those items, but maybe we need to re-think the evangelism process. Christ spoke in parables, wrote in the sand, prayed in a garden, preached and then had a picnic out on the hillside. Dramatic, to say the least. Not that what He did was just drama, it wasn't…it was reality. My point is that we need to look closer at Christ's template and adjust accordingly.Drama truly is the visual language or method that can cause the audience to travel down the road of truth with you. We cannot match the passion that Christ exemplified on the cross. He is the only one that can do that. We can however, have great passion for souls and ministry. As you read this book, pray that the Lord will anoint you with a passion to reach souls, not just how to do drama better. A passion for souls will carry over into having a passion for drama as a ministry. Souls, truth and ministry are the driving forces behind every great end-time evangelistic effort.

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