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THE PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION

NATURALLY our readers are deeply interested in the PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION. All of you have heard more or less concerning its preparation during the past two years. The work has been much more tedious than we expected. All who have seen it concede that it is very beautiful. A minister, after seeing two parts, said, “I have seen only one-half of the PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION, but already have learned from it more about the Bible than I learned in my three years’ course in the theological seminary.” A Jew after seeing it remarked, “I go away a better Jew than when I came in.” Several Catholic priests and nuns have visited the DRAMA and expressed great appreciation. It is our opinion that no one can see the four Parts (two hours each) and not be benefited for the remainder of life. We believe it to be the very best method of preaching the Gospel yet found. It gives a broad, comprehensive scope of the Divine Plan—a breadth of intelligence sure to be helpful to all who desire the right, the Truth. While it tells the Truth very plainly, it is not told offensively. Many ministers are visiting it—and Sunday School teachers and their classes. A very few of our friends have felt a little disappointment, we think, because the DRAMA Lectures are so mild and gentle in their language. We believe, however, that in this the DRAMA is right. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is quick and powerful. It is merely for us to present it and to allow it to do its own work of cutting to the heart, in its own way—without human force and asperity.

It treats CREATION from the broad, general standpoint of the Bible and the Divine intention which it presents. When God made man in His own image and placed him in Paradise, that was not the end of the Divine intention, but merely the beginning of it. The CREATION there begun will be completed only when the earth shall have been filled with a population as perfect as was Adam before he sinned; and when Paradise shall have been extended to the utmost bounds of the earth. This fulness of the CREATION purpose of God He expressed to Adam, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” Had Adam and his children remained perfect, gradually, as needed, they would have subdued the earth, extending the boundaries of Eden until the whole earth would have been Edenic and fully populated. Then the Divine CREATION would have been completed.

The interruption of this Divine Program by sin, the Lord foreknew. From the very beginning His wisdom arranged a plan whereby man would be permitted to have six days (of a thousand years each) of labor, sweat of face and failure, so far as extricating himself from sin and death is concerned. But God had purposed from the beginning that He would provide a Savior and Great One, who, as the Messiah, during the seventh day (a thousand years) would restore and uplift the willing and obedient of humanity from sin and death conditions to perfection—meantime also extending the boundaries of Eden worldwide. In a word sin has not caused the Almighty to change His original purpose one whit. He has merely adapted His Plan to the conditions. The permission of sin indeed will constitute a great, everlasting lesson for men and for angels, illustrating, as it does, the downward course of sin and the Justice and Love and Power of the Creator. When all those preferring sin shall have been destroyed in the Second Death, at the close of the Millennium, the creation of the world will be complete, perfected—man will again be in the image of God.

DRAMA SHOWN IN FOUR PARTS

The title of the DRAMA is along the lines foregoing. It therefore includes everything appertaining to the creation of earth—animals, man, the experiences of mankind for the past six thousand years and the work of the thousand years of Messiah’s Kingdom. It divides these into four Parts—four Entertainments with appropriate music, etc.

Part I. carries us from star nebula to the creation of the world and down to the Deluge—down to Abraham’s time.

Part II. reaches from Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, wilderness experiences, etc., down through the period of the Kings to the time of Elisha, the Prophet.

Part III. continues the story from Daniel’s time down to the time when the Logos was made flesh

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at the birth of Jesus, His boyhood, manhood, baptism, ministry, miracles, crucifixion, death, resurrection.

Part IV. begins at Pentecost and traces the experiences of the Church, during the past nineteen centuries to our day and beyond for a thousand years to the glorious consummation.

One of the great difficulties in our day seems to be that the people are losing all faith in God and in the Bible. And when faith in the Bible departs, when there is only human speculation in respect to a future life, hope becomes very vague. It is estimated that probably one-half of all the people of Germany have ceased to believe in a future life—believe that they die like brutes. Without hope of a future life, none but the well-to-do can be happy, contented. This accounts for the general growth of discontent—lack of faith. The DRAMA, we believe, will help to re-establish the faith of many, and thus not only prove a valuable instruction for the Church, but also a valuable aid to a hopeless class of the world. It makes for peace, by showing all that God is at the helm, and that ultimately “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Visitors to the DRAMA are presented with a little Peace Pin as a souvenir. It is of celluloid and bears the head of the boy Jesus, with the Latin word for peace, PAX.

The DRAMA is made up of pictures from all parts of the world—panorama, stereopticon views and films. Many of these are beautifully hand-colored, works of art. And art costs money! Some of our slides cost Ten Dollars to paint. Others of them, of course, were cheaper. The paintings from which these pictures were made cost large sums. For instance, we have one panorama representing Nero’s Circus, the original of which was destroyed by fire and was valued at Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars. We have, we believe, the only panorama reproduction of it in the world. This large sum of money invested in the PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION was not allowed to interfere with the general harvest work, as noted in our last Annual Report; yet it is all under the care and supervision of the Watch Tower Society. In its operation we are seeking to avoid drawing upon the Pilgrim force and the Colporteur force, and, so far as possible, are enlisting those not already engaged in any department of the harvest field.

TWELVE DRAMAS IN THIRTY-ONE CITIES

Only twelve sets of the DRAMA are yet complete—more are in process. Nevertheless we have already reached and are serving thirty-one cities with the DRAMA. Over thirty-five thousand per day are seeing, hearing, admiring, thinking and being blessed. Each set of the DRAMA is capable of serving four cities. After serving one it is passed to another, another, another, and then back again to the starting point. This is giving the desired opportunity to many of the dear friends who have been learning how to operate the Moving Picture Machines. More is needed than merely to know how to turn the handle—a thorough knowledge of the Machine is necessary, and a considerable knowledge of electricity, wiring, etc. Friends who are unincumbered and who have learned the operation of a Moving Picture Machine, and especially those so proficient as to be capable of obtaining a license, are invited to advise us of their readiness for this means of serving the Lord.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE DRAMA

Applications for the DRAMA are coming from every quarter. All who desire it are requested to observe the following course at once:

(1) A Committee of one, two or three of most businesslike Brethren, of good address—a PHOTO-DRAMA COMMITTEE—should be appointed. This committee should immediately address the I.B.S.A., DRAMA Dept., No. 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y., giving us the Committee’s address, stating the population of their community, and the number usually in attendance at the I.B.S.A. gathering, male and female.

(2) To all such we will as soon as possible communicate letters of instruction, outlining their further procedure. If your city is very small, and especially if it be remote from a large city, you may not hear from us very soon; but your letter will be on file and will have attention as soon as the general interests of the work will permit. We must serve the large cities first, and, while serving them, may have opportunity to serve smaller ones nearby. All this information may preferably be given on a postcard, as these can be more easily filed. Please keep strictly to these suggestions if you would advantage the work. Some, with best intentions, merely hinder by failure to follow directions explicitly.

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— April 1, 1914 —