Mac McConnell

On any given day, Mac McConnell assumes a different persona. No, he's not schizophrenic; he's an actor whose self-proclaimed mission is to spread the Good News of Jesus dramatically and without apology. And in a series of powerful one-man plays, he does just that.

Taking cues from biblical figures and cultural history, McConnell employs literary license and elaborates on the more complex elements of the Bible's sometimes one-dimensional characters.

Among others, he has portrayed Paul, Nicodemus, Joseph, Peter, and Zacchaeus. Even though the backdrop and time period are different, everyone can relate to the raw reality, doubts, and failures biblical characters experience, McConnell says.

"In continuing to discover the person of Jesus and these people, you must spend a little time in their shoes," contends the actor. "My life as a dramatist forces me—if not coerces me—to look at life through the eyes of the characters I portray."

In his drama ministry and in his new book, Forever Changed: A Journey in Jericho, McConnell reaches back through history in hopes of uncovering the layers of mystique surrounding the man known as Zacchaeus the tax collector. For decades, Sunday school children have sung about Zacchaeus, the "wee little man," yet McConnell seeks to flesh out this otherwise flat character, drawing in his audience and allowing them to step into the story in a fresh way.

And Bible memorization has done the same thing for Mac. For many of his performances, McConnell has had to memorize lengthy portions of the Bible. It's through memorization that he has experienced the living aspect of the Scriptures. During his studies, words on a page suddenly take on new meaning and significance.

McConnell has also gained a greater appreciation for the characters themselves. "These people didn't live as well as I do. They didn't have flushing toilets. I had to understand the conditions that they lived in, the way they dressed, and the way they were treated."

He believes that every person in the Bible is put there for us to understand and identify with, whether we like it or not. "There's a little Judas in each of us. We just don't usually want to go there."

The role McConnell most relates with, however, is Zacchaeus. "Forever Changed is also my story, because it's about a materialistic, wealthy person who finds himself empty and disillusioned with that life."

A contemporary of Jesus, Zacchaeus, the chief Jewish tax collector, was an unlikely beneficiary of Jesus' interest. But after a visit with the Christ, Zacchaeus became a new man and vowed to repay all whom he had cheated. His transformation can be described as a riches-to-rags encounter.

Although McConnell's plays are self-described "in-your-face-presentations," they're far from heavy-handed. Instead, McConnell offers truth through his narratives in easy-to-digest bites, rather than dogmatic declarations.

"I've never led anybody to Christ by proving anything," he says, "only by sharing and enticing them with what I've got."

In addition to Forever Changed, Wine Press just published McConnell's new book Bozra: The Unprepared Shepherd. And books on Joseph, Nicodemus, and Simon Peter will soon follow.

"There's so much more depth to the Bible than what the typical reader absorbs," says McConnell. And by taking his audience back a couple millennia, he is able to share that depth and bring God's Word to life.

For more info about McConnell's ministry, visit www.bibleactor.com/links.cfm. Jenn Doucette is a freelance writer from Snohomish, Washington. Visit her at www.daisyministries.com.

	What did you think of this story?
	Please to give us your feedback.

Read more from 'People of Faith'

Home  |  People of Faith  |  Stories of Hope  |  Today's Culture
Build Your Faith  |  Laughing Matters  |  Archives  |  Contact Us

				Try Today's Christian Woman Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift Order a gift subscription!

FREE Newsletter Subscribe to the Today's Christian Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help