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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — Soldiers from the 1st Theater Sustainment Command and the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) participated in various social and spiritual activities to celebrate the holiday season.

On Christmas Eve hundreds of service members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors gathered at a hangar decked out for the holidays. Put together by 1st TSC and 143d ESC Soldiers along with the helping hands of Morale, Welfare and Recreation employees, the event included a buffet dinner, a visit from St. Nicholas and a secret Santa gift exchange in front of a Christmas tree. Several Soldiers and civilians demonstrated their singing or dancing skills on stage during a “Camp Arifjan’s Got Talent” show judged by members of the 143d ESC’s junior enlisted ranks.

Though the celebration generated much laughter and applause from the lively crowd, some Soldiers preferred to spend Christmas Eve at a more solemn venue.

Chaplains and chaplain assistants deployed to Camp Arifjan hosted a Christmas Eve vigil at the post chapel that evening. The nondenominational Christian service wove scripture readings and traditional Christmas carols before the congregation brought the service to its climax as it illuminated the chapel with hundreds of lit candles.

The celebration continued the next day with a 5k run and a Christmas feast served by the 1st TSC and 143d ESC’s senior leadership at Camp Arifjan’s Dining Facilities. The 143d ESC also hosted a barbecue lunch as well as various sporting activities such as volleyball and cornhole.

Photos by Maj. John Adams, 1st Lt. Nicole Rossman, Staff Sgt. Ian Shay and Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC

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"Now that is what I call a Re-enactment!

Bartimaeus the blind beggar

May the Peace of the Risen Christ be with you! Easter is here.

We had a most successful Re-enactment of Our Lord's Passion. After so many months of preparation, sewing machines running hot updating costumes, actors learning lines, sound systems being upgraded and more, there we stood at 11am on Good Friday with microphone in hand: "Welcome to the 2018 Re-enactment of Our Lord's Passion!" And so it began.

How do we measure "success" in regards to our re-enactment?

On one measure you can use crowd numbers, donations, "Likes" and Shares and that would be appropriate if this was just a normal play. Even on that basis our event would certainly be considered a success with somewhere around 5,000 people participating and lots of great feedback and support.

But how do you measure success for a play that tries to be an authentic re-enactment of the Passion of Jesus Christ based on scripture and tradition of the Church? In this case we were told by the Pauline Fathers that many people came back and they were hearing confessions the whole day.

We saw many people following the play and praying along with us.

Crowning with Thorns

Many came up to us after the play thanking us for such an invigorating presentation of our Lord's Passion. Here are some of the early tales we have been told of the day.

One of the biggest challenges with a moving play is the safety of actors, crew and pilgrims as the play moves from scene to scene. We try many methods such as fixed tape and ropes as well as rope held by our marshalls. Enforcement for keeping the crowd back tends to fall towards the soldiers who, like in a theatre restaurant, instruct the crowd to move back for their own safety. Our photographer, eager to get "the photo", allowed a little old lady to sneak past the barriers so she could touch the cloak of Jesus. As the Centurion swung his arm giving orders to his soldiers, this lady who stood upright under his swing moved forward. "What the?" cried the Centurion and firmly moved her back with instructions. I thought she would be concerned at the firm treatment but she was grinning ear to ear and holding her bag telling her family, "I touched his cloak!"

I touched Jesus' Robes!

Some of our Marshalls volunteered to help on the day. Often these had not experienced the fluid intensity of a moving play like this and even though they were holding on to the rope barrier, found themselves sucked into the crowd. When the Centurion or one of the soldiers noticed their lost marshall and we heard the cry, "Get him out of there!" as they reached in and brought him back into line.

Our marshalls and soldiers request people to stay back for their own safety. When the Roman soldiers and Jewish guards broke out into another scuffle we heard the cry, "They're fighting again!" and the crowd suddenly made space. "Please stand back for your own safety," we once more cried as the procession moved on.

When Jesus was being scourged, the process started with one Roman making a few lashes. Then he gets moved back with the cry, "Let someone do it properly!" The primary flogging Roman soldier let fly with the whip dipped in the fake blood. Drops of blood flew in an arc and the soft straps struck Jesus with a satisfying slap and Jesus cried out. The crowd stopped chattering with an audible gasp.

One of our new actors had not actually attended the play in past years so this was all an amazing experience. When Jesus was being scourged and mocked, tears came to her eyes, but the Woman of Jerusalem in charge held her and said, "Don't cry yet. We have to call for his crucifixion in the next scene." So she held back her tears and like a trooper joined the crowd calling for Jesus' crucifixion. As she said afterwards, it won't be the same contemplating the story of Jesus' Passion in future.

At the start of the play we made sure the actors and crew knew that this was a "Live" play. That meant no retakes, no pause to re-do the scene, no stepping in to try again. "The play must go on!" we instructed. "After all, the pilgrims haven't read the script and the story won't be affected if your lines are not exact. So long as we get the important bits in the right order, no-one will know." That was good advice.

When Pontius Pilate was standing majestically on the balcony addressing the crowd, the sign of Roman Superiority detached from the balcony railing and fell to the ground with a crash. Pontius Pliate's eyes opened wide for a brief moment and then he turned his gaze back to the Crowd and Caiaphas and the Jews and continued as if nothing was wrong. The crew quickly removed the sign and all moved on as if this was part of play. We were told afterwards how clever this was, the falling of the sign representing the fall of Roman Justice. The play must go on.

Although we have a script which covers all the main dialogue and actions, the flavour comes from the interactions and improvised dialogue of the actors. Insults between the Jews and Romans provided occasional humour too. At the crucifixion, one of the Jewish Chief Priests called out "How many Romans does it take to Crucify someone?" Being sick of their taunts a Roman Guard approached them and said, "I have room for one more. Are you ready?" The Chief Priest stepped back behind the Jewish Guards and replied, "I have an appointment tomorrow and can't today."

We will report further tales as they come to light, but I want to end this post-play post with some heartfelt thanks. When organising an event like this where there are months of preparation involving over 100 cast, crew and support organisations, the whole thing only works when people do their part. This year worked so well because everyone did their part, no matter how small that part may have appeared. The actors didn't just remember their lines, but they also worked with their fellow actors and added their own ideas for their character. For example, the actor playing the blind beggar Bartimeus had the idea of having a blindfold and sat in his spot near the start of the play, begging for alms for about 20 minutes before the play reached him. Then he improvised with many calls for alms and requests about what the commotion was. It was a great job which really brought out the character of the blind beggar. It may have only been a bit part, but it formed part of the greater whole.

The same applied for each of the roles, from the primary speaking parts through to the behind the scenes actors of the Women of Jerusalem and Apostles before and after the abandonment of Jesus.

So many people have done their parts and done them well I am very proud to have been able to assist in co-ordinating and directing the play. An event like this generates a great camaraderie and fellowship and fosters a deeper understanding of not just this critical point in salvation history, but also the very human element that is the point of the whole Passion. Every actor and member of the crew and supporters must know that all the work and effort has been worthwhile to so many people.

Thank you.

~David Bruggeman"

Copied from goodfridaypassionplay.blogspot.com.au/

For more information please visit www.paulinefathers.org.au

No need to meditate or imagine, this event will take you to Calvary!

Proverbs 19:14 by joshtinpowers

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