Last night I went to a reenactment of the Last Supper at my family church on Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. This year the army base is due to close down and this was the last Last Supper performance that the Church of the Centurian would ever do.
My father played the part of Peter in the performance some 20 years ago when I was a teenager. I remember the men of our church growing beards in preparation for the part they would play as one of the disciples of Jesus. The performance is based in part on the painting The Last Supper by Michelangelo. There is a table with the passover feast and the disciples enter the stage and take their places with Jesus the Rabbi at the center. Jesus says to the men, "One of you will betray me."
The performance then allows each man to explore his thoughts on this claim. Each man self reflects at his life and asks "It is I?"
I was moved last night as the congregation was invited to take part in communion with the actors when they broke bread together. Each person in the audience went to the front of the church and took the bread and the wine. The actor Jesus sitting at the table just smiled as so many came forward in this act of remembrance. That night Jesus knew that Judas would betray him but he also told Peter that he would deny him 3 times. Jesus knew that all of his followers would not be able to accept the cup that he had been given. With love he accepted them and with love he forgave them.
Jesus knew he would die, and the last supper was his chance to tell his followers that he loved them. The holy communion is a way to remember that he loved us even though we didn't deserve it.
It was a special thing to watch and it would be my hope that even though the army base is closing... they should continue this special performance for the public.
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