June 4 in Christian History.
Every 10 years, travellers flock to the tiny town of Oberammergau, Germany, to witness one of the longest standing traditions in Europe.
The 30 years war, fought in Europe during the 17th century, was one of the most destructive conflicts of all time. No region was more affected than Bavaria, in southern Germany. The villagers had been forced to live with scarce rations and cramped quarters.
This had left the area vulnerable to the Bubonic plague. Entire villages were wiped out by the ravaging scourge. It wasn’t long before the arms of the plague began to reach into the peaceful homes and streets of Oberammergau.
Soon the plague had claimed 80 lives. The laments of the mourning and the groans of the dying echoed through the village. There was no family that remained unaffected. As more and more of the towns people fell ill, the surviving village leaders met to discuss the crisis.
With no earthly recourse, the villagers turned to God in desperation. They begged God to spare the town from the grip of the plague. They promised that if he protected the village of Oberammergau, they would worship God and spread his truth every 10 years by performing a play depicting the “suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
No sooner had the pledge been made then the plague lifted. Those who were diseased were suddenly made whole, and not a single villager died of the plague after that day.
The villagers were as good as their word. They erected an outdoor theater over the fresh graves of those who had died of the disease. The first play took place on June 4, 1634.
The Passion Play of Oberammergau is performed every ten years to this day, with the 42nd performance scheduled for 2020. Today, the production involves 2,000 people (each of them residents of the town) and runs for five months.
The play recounts the sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of Jesus, and spreads the word of Christ to hundreds of thousands of audience members. It is a testament to the great grace of God and to the great faith of the villagers of Oberammergau.
Verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 16:11-12
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
What an incredible tradition! It's amazing that the play continues to be performed, even over 400 years later. I find it fascinating that the residents chose to perform a play opposed to a different medium. I wonder if the play is part of the tradition of the morality plays that were popular in Europe around that time?
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