A group called Arts in the Armed Forces (which was founded by Kylo Ren Adam Driver) recently brought a production of “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” to Yokota Air Base:

The play is a drama on moral responsibility and the modern prison system. It takes place in a New York State prison on Rikers Island, where a young man finds himself in prisoned facing murder charges and is befriended by a surprisingly kind ex-serial killer on death row.

Sounds interesting enough.

But in the modern era characterized by divisive ideology, any media production citing Jesus and morality will almost certainly go only one of two directions: It will preach for — or it will preach against.

The ‘A’ Train preaches against. Really against.

Its near-constant stream of expletives would make Quentin Tarantino blush, and the play’s premise seems intentionally created to target religion. (The playwright, Stephen Adly Guirgis, apparently once tried to kidnap and “deprogram” a friend who had joined what he called a religious cult. He was unsuccessful. He said he was “angry” and “reconsidered” God after having grown up Catholic.)

While certainly different people may take different perspectives on the play (or what its playwright intended), The ‘A’ Train ultimately seems to try to leave the audience questioning — that is, questioning the American justice system, morality in general, and the Christian faith in particular.

It’s disappointing that such a production is considered “entertainment.” That said, the play was almost certainly a product of MWR, and the troops there had the freedom to do as they pleased, see the play or not.

It’s disappointing, again, that’s what they would choose to do.

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