Pasyonistas on Twitter and Tumblr

What would Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stephen Fry be related to tweeter? And no it is not because they are twitter users. Or that both are actors and celebrities. What seem to be the common thread between the Austrian actor and the British comedian-actor and writer is technology.

The first starred in a movie that pumped his career in Hollywood and the second spoke at one time about technology. In the movie Conan the riddle of steel could be related to technology. The answer to the riddle of steel was that it was dependent on the flesh, ie the hand that wielded it. In the film, even a broken sword could be used to behead the main villain in the hands of Conan – Schwarzenegger.

The second spoke and his speech was recorded in a podcast. It was a witty and splendid speech that talked of several things from copyright to Apple. What is important to us though was something said during the open forum. Technology, new technology does not make one an instant Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Bill Joel or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. You have to have skill, talent and ideas to begin with. Technology amplifies these things. It is the means ny which creativity, skill and guts are whispered, sang and shouted out to the wide world via the world wide web.

An example of this is this latest endeavor done on twitter and tumbler – Pasyonistas.

Pasyon of the Passion is a lenten practice a form of story telling of the last days of Jesus Christ om the world. In art this has largely been depicted in paintings and sculpture – I believe Michaelangelo's Pieta is an example of this. It is a popular subject across the arts and the performing arts from Webbers and Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and Mel Gibson's the Passion. Personally, I like watching Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. Somehow I find them more light and at the same time deep – if you get what I mean.

Every year at the end of our street during Holy Week they close the street, erect a tent, set up a karaoke machine and people take turns reading aloud through the microphone accounts of the last days of Jesus Christ in a lyricak verse. You can hear it from one of the street to the other, flooding the street.

Across the country the Passion of Christ is re-enacted. And now you can also read the Passion before your very eyes in twitter and tumbler.

It is an interesting take on the practice of the Passion or Pasyon. Hence the name Pasyonistas.

I wonder how it will turn out in Twitter and Tumbler. Most of us will know how it will end but how this cultural and artistic online collaboration will end we shall have to see.

Pasyonistas on twitter

Pasyonistas on tumblr

Aldo posted here.