Museum of the Bible offers rare respite from partisan politics in D.C.

At a quiet reception a short walk from the US Capitol last week, a group of black ministers, Hollywood insiders and political leaders gathered at the Museum of the Bible for the premiere of "Revival!," a musical that mixes bouncy gospels, soulful black spirituals and original music to tell the gospel of John with a cast of black actors including the R&B and funk legend Chaka Khan.

The film, which harkens back to "The Wiz" and "Jesus Christ Superstar," is the brainchild of writer and actor Harry Lennix, who stars in the NBC television series "The Blacklist," with movie credits in blockbusters like "Man of Steel." Lennix told me, "I think most people in the United States are religious. I also think everybody, regardless of religious beliefs, loves good music."

Lennix, who financed the film himself, also said, "I think that the Hollywood community -- no big surprise here -- is somewhat cynical or skeptical about religious content." And here's where things get interesting. Instead of launching the movie in Los Angeles or New York, Lennix's film premiered at the Museum of the Bible, a huge, $500 million building founded by billionaire Steve Green.

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Green, an outspoken social conservative is the president of the arts-and-crafts chain Hobby Lobby, which drew liberal ire by winning a 2014 Supreme Court case that allowed the company to opt out of the required contraceptive coverage under Obamacare.

But instead of using the museum as a place to fight cultural battles, Green has taken pains to make it a welcoming space. Although Green is an evangelical Christian, the museum boasts the world's largest private collection of Torah scrolls. The museum also recently hired a director of exhibits, Rena Opert, a Jewish woman who had previously worked at the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

And a recent special exhibit at the museum displays a rare copy of the so-called Slave Bible, which was drastically stripped down to cut out references to freedom or escaping captivity for fear that it might inspire a revolt.

By offering a broad array of programs for people interested in the Bible, the museum offers a neutral ground in Washington D.C., where schools, neighborhoods and even social events all tend to break along partisan lines.

If we're lucky, the good feeling will continue. That would be as good a Christmas miracle as any this year.

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