If you’ve never seen Explore The Bible: On Location videos, our ETB team works very hard to help me be a host the kids can relate to and connect with. Part of how we try to do this is by creating opportunities for me to act the age of the kids watching (K-5th). I get to do some pretty silly, strange, and spectacular things to keep kids engaged and help them make real-world connections to the truths they’re learning about in their Explore The Bible: Kids weekly lessons. Most of the time, no matter where we’re visiting or who we’re talking to, I act and look very odd, loud, and kid-like. In preparation for my trip to Israel, the question on the ETB team’s mind was: “How will our standard of childlike silliness translate to onlookers at these hallowed locations in Israel?”
Wearing black swim trunks patterned with bright neon-pink palm trees and roaring T-Rex’s, I did cannonballs into the Jordan River not too far from where global pilgrims had arrived to be baptized in the storied waters. Glares of confusion and potential ire abounded. Before you fret too much about the repercussions or judgements of my interesting actions, you’ll learn later on how we explained it to the kind people of Israel.
I intentionally (comedically) kept ruining a pita-making demonstration at a well-known seventh-generation bread shop in Jerusalem’s Old City. Then, once the owner and his sons had patiently corrected my mistakes and baked the bread, offering me a taste, I voraciously ate multiple loaves in a most impolite and unappetizing way, scream-mumbled my closing lines into the camera, shouted “Thanks!” to the cooks, and sprinted down the street, never to be seen by the bakers again. Glares of confusion and potential ire abounded.
On a large, gorgeous charter on the Sea of Galilee, I acted petrified that the same kind of storm from Mark 4:35-41 would happen the day we traversed the ancient lake. I interviewed the charter’s captain, inquiring for a specific number of boats he’d lost (so far) to the storms of Tiberias’ waters. He solemnly played along, replying, “None. We’ll be safe.” I then proceeded to run out of the shot crying fake tears of fear due to my neurotic expectations of imminent storms and laid in a fetal position on the open deck, rocking back and forth. As a consummate professional, the captain remained stoic, eyes ahead, seemingly hoping for this unique and unsettling tour to end more quickly than any tour he’d given in his illustrious maritime career. Also, I had two action figures with me that I talked to named Bruno and Tibbets. Once I realized from the Mark 4:35-41 passage that Jesus stilled the storm and that everything would be okay, I determined to do an uncomfortably long dance montage with Bruno and Tibbets all throughout the charter while being filmed by multiple cameras as well as a drone flying around the vessel. Glares of confusion and potential ire abounded.
Perhaps the shoot that drew the most apparent bafflement and possible indignation from onlookers involved a misreading of Scripture. A common heading in many Bibles for Mark 11:15-19 is, “Jesus cleanses the temple.” I mistook this heading to mean Jesus had rendered thorough janitorial services to the city of Jerusalem following His triumphal entry. I wondered, “How long has it been since Jerusalem had received a rigorous washing and disinfecting since the earthly ministry of Jesus?” Outfitted with large rubber goggles, broom and dustpan, disinfectant-filled spray bottles, sponges, paper towels, a construction-grade breathing mask, and the brightest rose-pink latex cleaning gloves money could buy, the crew and I visited many of Jerusalem’s most beloved landmarks. While reverent and eager pilgrims and visitors stood in awe of the Tower of David Museum in central Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the Garden Tomb, and the Steps of Caiaphas, I took it upon myself to spray, wipe, sweep, and dust these locations for Jesus. And not unlike the events on the Sea of Galilee charter, I didn’t just clean… I dance-cleaned! It looked like a Broadway show no one would ever pay money to see about a singular character dance-cleaning the most sacred places on earth, though no one asked him to and while everyone wonders, “What is going on and where are the police?” Glares of confusion and potential ire abounded.
Story after story I could tell of glares of confusion and potential ire abounding. But in every instance leading to potential arrest and permanent banishment from the country of Israel, our phenomenal on-the-ground guide, Richard, would congenially exclaim in English, Arabic, and Hebrew to all concerned observers, “It’s for kids!” And without fail, the masses would be put at ease and many would reply enthusiastically and with a bright smile, “It’s for kids? Oh, it’s for kids!” I got to go to the most special of places and do the silliest things. And all our guide had to say with a smile was, “It’s for kids!” Once those three magic words were spoken, all was well. Apparently, people around the world love kids too and are willing to accommodate whatever they must to keep kids engaged.
Preview Explore the Bible: Kids to see how we use The Bible on Location!
The Best of Kids Ministry 101: Make Your Volunteer Expectations Clear
»