The Gospel of John

Last night I had a life changing experience. Brad Sherrill gave a dramatised performance of St John's Gospel which has long been my favourite gospel. It was an astonishing feat to remember and relate the whole of a gospel. I'm told there were more present this year than heard him dramatise St Mark's gospel last year. At first it was hard to relate to the American pronunciation of words like "Gaad" and the different translation but his intensity and the way he involved us by getting us to join hands (illustrating the vine) or lifting my hand to demonstrate flesh. Certain moments sent a thrill down my spine - the raising of Lazarus, the paralytic standing, the man born blind, the simple pouring of water. In fact it was images like water, stones, the table, the cross which hit home. I had not thought how much of the gospel is teaching and a great deal about testimony and testifying to the truth. And how much humour Brad brought to it! And what is missing is as importnat as what is int he gospel - no institution of the Eucharist but the feeding of the 5000, no parables but a focus on the Eucharist and the Good Shepherd. He also drew our attention to the Cross and the Stations around us. One can never hear this gospel again without recalling this.
Later in Lent we shall be singing in Bach's St John Passion and of course on Good Friday we hear his Passion. Give us grace to hear it again with receptive hearts. The great cries of "Lazarus, come forth" and "I thirst" and "It is finished" ringing in our ears. And the astonishing moments of faith "He saw and believed" and "My Lord and my God". Above all the great message of "Love one another" a theme so dear to John.