(Image by SAT-7)
Middle East (SAT-7/MNN) — An innovative program on SAT-7 KIDS, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, tells Bible stories using the creative talents of Egypt’s first-ever sand artist. In Stories in the Sand (in Arabic, Ramleya fi Hekaya), artist Michael Romany brings parables to life by hand-designing sand atop a lit, glass panel.
Producer Monir Zakhary and his team have crafted the short, five-minute episodes to capture the attention of children. Stories in the Sand have enacted:
- The Creator and the Fall
- The Prodigal Son
- Jonah and the whale, and
- The Testing of Abraham, among other Bible passages
Monir says, “I am keen for young viewers to be familiar with the events of the Holy Bible, its prophets, and message of God’s relationship with man since creation. In it appear many of God’s amazing works in many places and events that teach children the meaning of God’s mercy, His love, the greatness of His works and miracles…. They will be proven in the minds of children in a way they will not forget, especially the young ones who do not read the Bible or go to Sunday school.”
(Image by SAT-7)
An episode depicting Noah’s Ark put viewers in the moment by incorporating the sounds of waves and animal calls in the background. A narrator told the story of Noah building the ark in colloquial Egyptian Arabic, a dialect that is widely understood throughout the Arab World. The narrator stayed true to the details of the Bible passage, without adding any characters or details.
At the end of each episode, the narrator introduces a Bible memory verse to the audience. The verse accompanying the story of Noah’s Ark was Hebrews 10:23, “For He who promised is faithful.”
The SAT-7 PARS and SAT-7 TÜRK channels will dub Stories in the Sand into Farsi and Turkish for their viewers–a collaboration that will carry the artistic wonder to an even larger audience.
Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, watching TV is an activity that often gathers the whole family together in one room. Stories in the Sand is a program simple enough to reach young children, but so artistic and unique that the Bible stories can capture the attention of their parents as well.
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(Image by SAT-7)
