This weekend our GENESIS show goes up twice at the Aronoff Center and once at Memorial Hall. It’s a one-man show that I will be doing for the first time, walking through the book of Genesis in the Bible. Today I was asked what my “agenda” was for the show. It’s a fair question. I’m a Christian. One could also argue that “once a pastor always a pastor.” I can’t help but bring my own beliefs into anything I do. That said, my number one agenda for these shows is that they are worthy entertainment. In that regard, I am first and foremost an artist—a writer and a performer. It means a lot to me that people pay money to see these shows. I want them to always feel it is worth it. If you laugh, cry and leave with new thoughts, desires or ambitions then I have been successful.
My secondary agenda is to free these ancient stories and let them do what they have always done—show us who we are and what our place is in the world. Ultimately, Genesis is about light and darkness. It’s about human nature. It’s about good and evil. And to that end, it is tortuously true to the human condition. It’s messy and ugly—stories of murder, rape, war, deceit and injustice. It’s also full of stories of hope, redemption, love, faith and forgiveness. It’s us. The best of us and the worst of us. If you look at it closely it asks and the answers what may be the most important question we have ever asked: Am I my brother’s keeper?
I am humbled and thankful that our initial two shows on November 22nd at the Aronoff have officially sold out. We recently made the decision to add a third show at 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 23rd at a new venue—Memorial Hall in OTR. There are plenty of seats left for the Sunday show. Gratefully, these shows have grown through relational support and word-of-mouth with virtually no advertising. Please help us spread the word about the Sunday show. As an entertainer (and a pastor), I’d like for as many people to be there as possible to hear this story. I think it’s something we all need.
Thanks for your support. See ya at the show!
Photo courtesy of Rebel Pilgrim Productions

Joe Boyd

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- Why The Bible Is Myth - April 27, 2015