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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Azariah France-Williams

Good Morning.

Stage musicals in the fifties and sixties had a pattern of wowing theatre audiences, then following up with an album of favourite and memorable songs. Fifty years ago today a special pairing reversed the formula by releasing the album first. They had to test the water before their main character could walk on water – or at least take to the stage. A young Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice used the album to help generate the funding and the interest to finally stage the idea.

The musical was Jesus Christ Superstar. Tim Rice wanted to explore a more sympathetic view of Judas Iscariot, but some Christians felt the story was only theirs to tell and deemed it controversial. The pair’s ingenuity paid off, and they won over many of their detractors. If you are an artist or a freelancer, the current climate can feel particularly difficult. Plato said: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Limitations force a new form of problem solving. Lloyd Weber and Rice used their creative skills to recreate conditions in their favour. Jesus Christ himself told stories that challenged the dominant narratives of his day. He helped us became more compassionate towards outsiders and the demonized.

God of justice, help us tell stories about Jesus that open and do not close our imaginations. Grant us fresh creativity to engage with new forms of community. Lead us in this current climate not just to survive but to thrive, and let us follow you onto the water and find we can walk without sinking.

Amen.