Acting on Faith in Arkansas
More than 7.5 million people have traveled to a remote, eclectic town in the Ozarks to witness the play of Jesus' death and resurrection.
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — The little girl cried out in the dark: "Don't let Jesus die!"

Down below, on a vast outdoor stage, Roman soldiers in bright gold armor flogged Jesus Christ, laughing at the sport. A dusty crowd cheered with each crack of the whip until finally Pontius Pilate shouted "Enough!" But the mob, jostling close, would not quiet. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Crucify the false prophet!" With a shrug, Pilate gave the order.

As Christ, bent and bloodied, lifted his cross on his back, 6-year-old Sarah Davis huddled close to her mom.

"Where are they taking him?" she asked. Around her, men and women wiped away tears, or let them fall, as "The Great Passion Play" drew to an end.

Every summer for the last 38 years, tens of thousands of families have made their way to this remote patch of the Ozark Mountains to witness Christ's death and resurrection.

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