To be honest, it is a stretch to include 1991’s “Children of Eden” in a Broadway list, technically, because Stephen Schwartz, who is much more well-known for smash-hit musicals such as “Godspell” and “Wicked,” or providing music for acclaimed animated films such as, “The Prince of Egypt,” and Disney’s, “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame,” never saw this particular Bible-based production receive even the glimmer of hope of a major New York City performance, instead floundering on the West End in London.
With an enormous cast, along with over 60 original songs, and coming in at standard run-time of over three hours, it’s not hard to see why this particular show, which seeks to tell the story not only of Adam and Eve as well as Cain and Abel, but also the entire story of Noah’s Ark, had trouble finding it’s footing amidst the “flood” (pardon the pun) of difficulties. Still, the music of the show is some of the best every performed, and the production itself has gone on to find itself listens among Music Theatre International’s 20 most-performed musical productions. #dontcallitacomeback
Currently, the church where i serve, Frostburg UMC, is engaged in a lenten sermon series titled, “Lost In The Wilderness,” based primarily on my favorite song from “Children of Eden.” After being banned from Garden of Eden (or, to put in contemporary terms, the Governor/President of Eden issued a mandate ordering all gardens to be closed and social gatherings to be limited…you get what I’m saying…), Cain laments the situation that him and his brother Abel find themselves in, especially considering it was through no fault of their own. Cain sings, “I never made this world, I didn’t even lose it, and I know no one said it was fair. But they had a garden once, they had the chance to choose it, and they gave it away including my share. And now we’re lost in wilderness. Lost, crying in the wilderness. And if anyone’s watching it seems they couldn’t care less. We’re lost wilderness”
I imagine during this time of social distancing and isolation, amidst a backdrop of school and mall and restaurant and theatre closings, it’s not hard to feel as if we’re “lost in the wilderness.” But even if we weren’t forced into a pseudo-self-quarantine during these days, it’s easy to find ourselves in a place where it feels like the world has passed us by, or as if we drew the short-straw on life. Cain concludes a song, which begins as a lament, with a shout of triumphant hope, singing, “Don’t you ever watch the eagle fly to the sun and wonder how he got to be so free. If you ever have, you know. your journey’s begun. Hey what’ve we got to lose boy, when already we are lost in the wilderness. And where we are headed boy, I couldn’t guess but off we go without a warning, running as we hit the ground. Where our future lies a-borning, where our hearts are outward bound, ‘till one bright and distant morning, we may stop and look around and there in the wilderness, finally, we’ll be found!”
In one of Jesus’ longer sections of parables, in Luke 15:8-10, Christ tells his followers, “Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.” No matter how lost you ever find yourself, no matter how alone you ever feel, know that Christ is busy searching for you, like a shepherd looking for a lost sheep, like a father praying for a prodigal son, and like a widow searching for a lost coin. Our God is relentless. You will be found, and nothing will measure the joy of heaven when you find yourself reunited with the God who created you, who loves you, and who calls you home. Amen.
God of the lost and found, when we feel lost, may we find ourselves in your loving arms of mercy, grace, compassion, and hope. Amen.
the harlequin complex 