Drama in this present day is as confusing to many people as everything for of entertainment. Though as old as the scripture itself, drama is still referred to as the End Time ministry. It is so-called because it is being used more than any other form of entertainment to edify the kingdom of God in these latter days than in the earliest days.
Drama ministry could be described as the ministry where the word is becoming flesh again in our time or put simply the ministry where the power of God unto salvation and other biblical truths are demonstrated unto people. This ministry is easier in reaching out to people, than the other ministries, because people understand and retain more of what they see through dramatization. As said earlier, this ministry is not a new ministry per-se. Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea are some of the Old Testament ministers in this ministry. For instance God led Jeremiah to preach repentance through the marred girdle (Jeremiah 13:1-13) and obedience through the Recabites (Jeremiah 35). The book of Ezekiel is replete with symbolism and visions through which the prophet preached Holiness unto God. Hosea was led by God to preach broken covenant through his own experience of a broken marriage.
In the New Testament, Jesus ministered greatly in drama through His parables. Although the parables were not put into physical action, the use of symbolism and characters gives one the opportunity of visualizing the various messages.
Like in music, there are various types of drama; secular and sacred, but in this context we are concerned with sacred ministry in drama. Similarly as in music, not all the so-called Gospel drama are edifying God’s kingdom because some of them are acted for secular gains and not sacred ministry.
Anyone in this ministry must in addition to the general ministerial requirements be a man of understanding and vision. He must be one that can understand and visualize any message that God is giving him. He must possess a high degree of boldness and self-control over the flesh both on stage and after the stage. He must also be a man of fasting and prayer. This is because drama ministration is an open confrontation with Satan and as laid down by Jesus, such confrontation can best be done effectively through and prayer.
Because there is a dark picture of the state of human Dramacool nature and human society, drama helps us picturize the causes and effect of a bad attitude. Therefore, every Christian is called upon to practicalize God’s love through pictorial and dramatical ways so that we may not make the Word of God of none effect through our inactivity. Dramatizing what we see in every day life in comparison with God’s injunction will help bring the Word of God closer to the people.
However, in order to make sure our voices are heard and more impacts made towards making the world a better place for God to work in people’s lives, I would strongly advise that all drama ministers should give themselves to serious praying to allow their drama ministration have upper hand in breaking the hold of darkness in people’s lives. Prayer will always empower the message of every dramatic ministration as well as the ministers against the arrows of the enemy both on stage and after stage.
Vitus Ejiogu is a writer and publisher with the Fire-Brand Int”l Ministries, a media ministry that is based in Nigeria.