Easter On TV

Here is a side story to the real Easter fun our family had this weekend.

I don't recall the story of Jesus being played on mainstream T.V., i.e., ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, at Easter time when I was growing up in the states. I could be way off, but I just don't recall seeing such a thing. The shows I remember at Christmas time were also very secular - Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and the like.

To my astonishment, and great surprise, we found a wonderful depiction of the life of the Savior on Friday night on KiKa (Kinder Kanal, or Children's Channel), one of three national state run channels. This was up against Wallace and Grommit and Harry Potter. Meaning, it definitely would not do well in the sweeps in the U.S.

The show, entitled, The Miracle Maker (Der Mann der 1000 Wunder) was a great depiction of biblical stories because: 1) The vast majority of the script was quoted directly from the New Testament, and 2) I really enjoy seeing the biblical texts being acted out. It brings alive passages I have previously read but only partially been able to envision in my head.

This pointed out an interesting different between religious life in Germany versus in America. Coupled with an interesting article I found related to the TV line-up in Germany for Easter weekend, made me starkly aware of the contrast: Local Bishop slams TV Lineup