Easter Children’s Play Speaks into Social Justice Issues of Today
Children relate the suffering of Jesus to current social justice issues as they prepare for Easter play on Good Friday.
Known as a ‘Passion Play’, thirty children from Llandaff Cathedral Sunday School will act out the arrest, condemning and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday (10th April) at 10am in the cathedral in front of 200 people.
The Dean of Llandaff Fr Richard Peers said, “Young people today are very concerned about justice in the world. We know that it's a very unjust place at the moment and they know that too. The children here have been raising money for Ukraine and the suffering in Israel and Palestine, and all of the suffering of the world is caught up in the suffering of Jesus.
"I think the children here really make that link and see that there is hope in the resurrection, beyond whatever sufferings of the present moment.”
Every year the older children (8+) of the Llandaff Cathedral Sunday School prepare a passion play, where they act out Jesus being arrested and taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and being condemned to death and then carrying His cross. The play will be performed at Llandaff Cathedral on Good Friday morning in a special children's service.
This year the script has been extended because so many children wanted to take part. For the first time, there will be a group of soldiers acting out the casting of lots and putting the sign ‘King of the Jews’ on the cross and we have a Simon of Cyrene (who carried the cross behind Jesus) and a Veronica (who wiped his brow). The play has been held on Good Friday for the last ten years, the day marks for Christians when Jesus was hung on the cross.
The Sunday school is for children aged three to 11 and the average attendance each week is more than 100 children – sometimes as many as 150.
Sunday School Co-Ordinator, Dr Gerard Bates, said, “We spend several weeks looking at the events of Holy Week and with the play, of course the children practise at home and go through the story with their parents etc.
“Throughout the year, we reflect on the teachings of Jesus and the example he set. We encourage kindness and Christian behaviour - having very strong links to charities like Christian Aid and the Cardiff Food Bank. We certainly find that through drama - acting out the stories - the children develop a much deeper understanding.”
Charlie Blake, 9, is very excited to be playing Jesus in the Passion Play as he loves to learn his lines and be in front of an audience. He said he feels the Easter message is important today because, ‘it lets people know that there is always hope’.
Dean Richard said, “It's really important for children to understand the story of Jesus in His love for us. And it's wonderful when they act at it out because it helps them to remember. They will remember for the rest of their lives taking part in passion. Their grandmas and aunties and uncles and mums and dads and carers will remember that memory as well and that's something important for them to treasure as part of their growing up.”