Moments of Reflection
Sharing life—connecting journeys—following Christ
So Where is Oberammergau?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

In the early 1600’s, much of what is modern-day Europe faced an overwhelming foe; The Black Death. As a result of the ravages of the Bubonic plague many perished both in the countryside and cities from this indiscriminate foe. One small Bavarian village called Oberammergau had lost a large number of its citizens by 1633 and the future seemed bleak. As a community they turned to the great physician for help and prayed that if they were spared they would create a lasting memorial to God. They committed themselves as they had known suffering; they would honor God by performing a “Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ” every ten years until the end of time. As the number of deaths began to dramatically decreased, plans for what we would come to call, “The Passion Play” began to take shape. On the still fresh graves of the town cemetery in 1634, Oberammergau performed its first Passion Play. Every decade for the last three centuries (except in 1870 and 1940 during war time) the village has performed the Passion of the Christ. The now famous Passion Play is performed in all years ending in zero and involves over 2000 actors and artists, whose good moral standing is as crucial as their acting ability. Anyone involved must have lived in Oberammergau for at least 20 years. The play is performed in the open air before an audience of five thousand, and lasts six hours and is repeated five days a week from May through September.
Our lives when taken in the context of our time can seem so meaningless and insignificant but when taken in the context of eternity can be so much more. As Life Group leaders and members of the Body of Christ we have such a privilege to be influencers for eternity. The Passion of the Christ can play out every day in our lives. Certainly not always in the scale or production that Oberammergau exhibits, but the impact on eternity can be just as significant.