THE APOSTLE PAUL RETURNS TO DAMASCUS

A 77-minute docu-drama film that tells the story of Saul of Tarsus has been released in the Middle East. The movie, titled ‘Damascus’, was filmed on location in the Syrian capital Damascus and other historic places in the nation. It was produced by Arab Christians, in Arabic, with a cast of 20 prominent Arab actors and actresses from Syria. Saul was a religious extremist and persecutor of the Church in the first century, who had a vision of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Not only did he become a follower of Jesus, but he also became the apostle Paul, the author of nearly half the books of the New Testament. The movie’s trailer makes this transformational message quite clear: “Damascus. He entered it as a persecutor, and left it as an apostle. A true story, a journey that brings to life God’s mighty power to change what no man can change - the human heart. A movie centering on the life of the greatest Christian apostle, Paul of Tarsus, who took the good news of the Gospel from Syria to the nations of the world.” The film has been endorsed by President Bashar al-Assad and premiered in Assad’s personal theatre in Damascus in March. More than 1 100 Syrian poli-tical, religious and business leaders attended the première. The film has also been endorsed by Protestant and Catholic leaders, and premiered at the Vatican in May, as Catholics around the world will remember Saint Paul’s life in a special ‘jubilee year’ dedicated to his sacrifice and mission. The film is also known in the region as ‘Damascus Is Speaking’, and will be shown and distributed throughout churches in the Middle East and around the world. The Joshua Fund reports that 300 000 copies of the film are currently being produced on DVD for distribution in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. The ‘Damascus’ movie’s trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gazRoamytjc Source: The Joshua Fund