What’s The Buzz? 5 Thoughts Inspired By Jesus Christ Superstar Live 2018

My love for Jesus Christ Superstar goes way back.  As far back as the seven year old boy whose parents took him to see the original “rock opera” at the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit circa 1973.  In my mind’s eye I can still remember the opening guitar riff of the Overture filling the auditorium; I was mesmerized!  That evening experience led to me burning a hole in the original double album soundtrack on the old stereo record player. I knew “what the buzz was and could tell you what was happening”.

As the years passed the JCS soundtrack rang out on my walkman, then my discman, then my ipod, and finally now, my iPhone.  Come visit my office and you’ll see the promotional poster from the JCS 1997 London production signed by the show’s three stars hanging behind me.

I say all that to say I have a fair bit of street cred when it comes to commenting on productions of Jesus Christ Superstar so when I saw that NBC was going to do a new live production on Easter Sunday evening I was all onboard.  While watching the production though I could see a blog post developing in my head.  Rather than doing a review of which there are many and seem to reach a consensus that the production was brilliant, I instead chose to highlight 5 thoughts or “take-aways” that are relevant to the church and the world at large today.

• Diversity- America is beating itself up a lot over the issue of race right now.  The fear being race relations are worse now than ever before.  Let me say, this is simply the painful birth pangs felt before something beautiful is born.  America (and much of the West) is attempting to create something never before done in the history of human civilization; erasing racial tribal allegiance in favor of a common shared humanity. (Believe me, I live in Asia where notions of racial equality and integration are barely entertained) It’s painful and there is a lot of hurt in the meantime but the JCS Live 2018 show reminded me that a crucial component with the Government (Kingdom) of God is “there is neither Jew or Gentile, neither slave nor free, or even male and female but that we are all ONE in Christ”  The NBC production highlighted a beautiful mosaic of ethnic diversity culminating with John Legend playing Jesus.  Let me say this again a different way, a black man played Jesus!!  Forty-five years ago when Jesus Christ Superstar premiered the idea of a black man playing the Son of God would have been anathema.  In fact there was only one part fit for a black man back then and that was Judas Iscariot (aka The Traitor).  America, you may still have along way to go in the area of racial integration but give yourself a pat on the back; you’ve come a LONG way! 🙂

• Creativity– From the decision to hold a live performance in Brooklyn’s Marcy Avenue armory, to a set littered with iconic church symbols and sporting a  multi-tiered scaffolding stage , to a crucifixion where Jesus is caught up into a heavenly light at his death, the 2018 live Jesus Christ Superstar was a creative masterpiece that magically curated an ancient story for yet another generation that needs to experience it.  The opening overture gave me chills when the young lady raced into the auditorium like an Olympic torchbearer to light the fire of creativity and freedom that would burn bright throughout the show.  As humans we perhaps reflect the image of God at no greater time than we are in the midst of creating something new. The producers of JCS Live 2018 created something beautiful and we the audience got to proclaim it “good”

• Who are Jesus’ REAL followers?– The religious leaders of Jesus’ time “loved” God and anxiously awaited for their messiah to come.  When the Son of God did come though he didn’t quite arrive in the package they expected.  Jesus showed little interest in affirming their tribal notions of God or in “Making Israel Great Again”.  Instead he affirmed and befriended the foreigner, women, the “unclean”, and the alcoholics. He was constantly chided by his rabbi colleagues that he was hanging out with the wrong sort.Those followers of Christ in JCS Live 2018 were the marginalized, the outsiders, the ones for whom the present social system has always been at odds.  These people who the world refused to affirm found solace in the One who was declaring a new Kingdom; a new way of ordering society in which they were offered a place of love and dignity.Not long ago I was with a friend who was questioning why as a (fairly) intelligent guy I still believed in God.  After I shared my reasons I turned the tables and said, “I know you desire a world that is more compassionate, merciful, peaceful, and just.  If Jesus were in Hong Kong today doing what he did 2,000 years ago YOU would be following him too”.  My friend thought for a moment and said, “You know, I would.  I wouldn’t necessarily think he was the Son of God, but yes, I’d be following him.”If Jesus came today I’m convinced those that many who claim to love him and are CERTAIN he is the Son of God wouldn’t actually like him or his message and, in time, would decry him in time as a false prophet.   Yet many others who are not so certain on his divinity would find his message of a new Kingdom formed on an axis of love and forgiveness strangely compelling.
• Will some bypass Christianity to follow Christ? – Watching JCS Live 2018 one could be left thinking these new “believers” would not fit comfortably in a modern evangelical church service. They would likely have little interest in “worship” music, sermons, building programs, and many of the traditional trappings which define that church institution.

• The Apostle Paul dealt with a similar issue.  In his day many of the new Gentile followers of Christ had little interest in Jewish festivals, Torah observance, or (gulp) circumcision.  Jewish believers were aghast and insistent that in order to truly follow Christ these new followers of Christ must become Jews.  Paul’s instruction was that if the Jewish believers found their faith enhanced through these structures and rituals they were free to continue them but not to require them on these new non-Jewish followers of Christ.   JCS Live 2018 reminded us that the person of Jesus Christ invokes a powerful desire in people to “follow him”.  Some of those followers will increasingly not identify as Christian.
• The Message of Love as God’s Alternative Narrative is needed Now -. For people caught in a political, economic, religious, and cultural system where power underpinned with violence and intimidation is the norm, the image of a man nailed to a cross forgiving those who put him there offers up a powerful alternative narrative. In JCS Live 2018 John Legend’s Christ is surrounded by followers who are devastated that once again the system has “won” and succeeded in silencing the voice that declared love, mercy and forgiveness would become the “new norm” in the world.  But instead of death being the final message, this production of JCS (unlike earlier productions which neglected a resurrection) included Legend’s Christ being lifted up and disappearing into a white light.  Death, it is suggested,  is not the final outcome and love and light are not so easily extinguished.  Now it’s up to those followers of Christ to spread the Life and make love, forgiveness, and compassion the new norm.

Ok a sixth takeaway just for free.  Wasn’t Alice Cooper as King Herod a casting coup!!!!

Peace,

Steve