Free play dramatizes final day on Earth

How to go

WEST CHESTER TWP. — “The Great White Throne Judgment” refers to the ultimate judgment.

The play, open to the public May 1-2 at the Morning Star Baptist Church, is about the Last Judgment as foretold in the Bible. Staged by the church’s youth ministry, the play focuses on 12 particular characters, with each one sitting in judgment, finding out if they will be admitted to heaven.

They come to find out that the road to heaven is not an easy route. Sam Haboush of Monroe plays a blind man who believes his disability entitles him to heaven.

“He uses his deficiencies as the justification that he’s deserving,” Haboush said. “He’s been dealt a bad card, so he deserves to get in.”

As it turns out, it’s not that simple.

“He ends up realizing that what he thought doesn’t really add up,” Haboush said.

Similarly, the character played by Jane Ferrell of Liberty Twp. is a Sunday school teacher, and all Sunday school teachers go to heaven automatically, right?

“That’s false thinking,” Jane Ferrell said. “I (my character) was just putting hope in myself. The only thing is, that’s not good enough to get me to heaven.”

It may sound foreboding, but the play isn’t designed just to scare audiences.

“Life is short and God sees sins. We try to forget the bad things we do and justify them. It’s a fearful message, but it’s a message of hope,” Haboush said.

The Rev. Daniel Ferrell, the pastor of the church and the director of the play, who has staged “The Great White Throne Judgment” at other churches in years past, said its drama tends to stay with people. He said people tell him they still remember his Wilmington production from 25 years ago.

“It’s entertaining, but it’s so dramatic at first, it has a little bit of shock value. If you go to see ‘Annie,’ that has a happy ending. This is not that type of play,” Ferrell said. “If what the Bible says is true, this will be an awesome day, and that’s not awesome in the positive sense. But this time is an opportunity to reflect on life.”

There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.