Light of the World

On Saturday, December 21st, at 7:00pm High Point Baptist Church in Larksville, invites you to step back in time to 1940’s Holland to see how two different families celebrate both Christmas and Hanukah during the German occupation of World War Two.  Written and directed by church member and drama team member since 2006, Aimee Novak , the one act play entitled, "Light of the World"   displays how the two families, one Christina and the other Jewish react to the increasingly difficult times in which they live. When asked how she chose the time period of the play, she explained that has been inspired by the book, "Diary of Anne Frank" ever since her mother gave it to her as a child. “It really struck me in a very personal way.  At the time I first read it, Anne was just a little older than I was, and she and her family had endured so much.”

Novak also incorporated the theme of friends willing to endanger themselves for the sake of others into her play. “The Franks were very lucky in that they had friends on the outside who helped them.  Many individuals risked their lives helping Jews hide from the Nazis, bringing them food, cutting into their own rationed supplies.  They risked so much to do the right thing.  They drew a line and said, "We will do what is right, no matter the cost."  This concept is displayed throughout “Light of the World”.

While the play and it’s inspiration are set in the 1940’s, Novak feels the theme of love, and selflessness are timeless. “I think it causes you to look at things in a fresh way.  The clothes and environment may seem different so it catches your attention.  But despite the differences, fundamentally, it causes people to realize that people and the struggles they face, and the emotions they feel are the same.  Whether it's 2013 in America, 1943 Holland, or 30 AD Jerusalem, we all share the same feelings.  There are struggles and triumphs, fears and doubts, joy and hope.  These things transcend time.”

These common threads that run through history have the potential to bring mankind together despite their differences, and that is just what Novak and the cast hope to accomplish. “I would like for it to be a bridge, a way to open a dialog, in particular between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), to let our Jewish brothers and sisters know that they are loved,” she explains. “I hope it makes people think.  First, that we should never forget the Holocaust and the horrors of the past.  But I also hope that we can use it to look to the future, to build connections, to ignore trivial differences and love others unconditionally.  Most importantly, I hope that it will be a light in the darkness, to show the way to the true Light of the World, Jesus Christ, the long awaited Messiah who came to earth in human form, suffered and died on a cross, to take away sin and offer the free gift of salvation to anyone who is willing to look toward the light instead of turning from it.”

High Point Baptist Church’s drama team has been performing mainly Easter dramas since it began sixteen years ago. “Drama transforms written words on a page into a tangible experience by giving it form, texture, color, and faces, and brings truth to light,” Novak says. The play will be performed at the church at 919 Mountain Road, Larksville, on Saturday, December 21^st at 7:00pm; admission is free. More information about the church and the play can be found at http://www.highpointchurch.info/  or by calling 570-371-4404.