Former Cirque du Soleil clown pantomimes the gospel
SAINT-JÉRÔME, QC—A former Cirque du Soleil clown is teaching groups across Quebec how to share their faith without saying a word.
Daniel Julien of Silent Witness Productions (Productions Du Temoin Silencieux) runs workshops on 'miming evangelism' in French, English and Spanish.
"I'm not a Christian entertainer," Julien says, "I'm there to touch the hearts of people and give them all the tools I know for evangelism. Some people are very shy when they start. I help them to materialise their testimony.
"I believe that God uses the arts to speak to the hearts of people. You are not using words—you are entering through their eyes right into their heart."
Julien has been a professional actor for over 30 years. He was part of the original cast of Cirque du Soleil under the tutelage of famed theatre director Franco Dragone.
"I was in the Cirque du Soleil when I was saved," Julien says. "I have a very, very heavy background. I started taking drugs when I was 11. I was a cocaine addict for many years. I was abused in a foster home. I was in prostitution."
He now shares his testimony in prisons and drug treatment and rehabilitation centres. "In the world of arts a lot of people drink, do cocaine, things like that," he says. "That is one of the reasons God took me out of that, because He knew my weaknesses."
Julien trained as a drug counsellor with Teen Challenge. He has recently become a missionary with BLF Canada, a mission agency dedicated to reaching the French-speaking world.
"Over 25 per cent of Canadians are French," Julien says "All throughout Canada there are little French communities that are not being touched by the gospel because the churches around them don't speak French. I want to train English teams to reach them through mime."
Julien has himself used mime to cross language barriers through prison ministry in Mexico. "Thousands of prisoners came to the Lord," he says, "There were prisoners in tears—and you do not cry in prison."
He is also a lead instructor with the Clown Association of Quebec, where he says God has given him opportunities to "be a light" to other up-and-coming talent. This summer he is launching a new DVD in French, English and Spanish called Pantomimes.
"We all have those times of doubt," he says, "saying, 'God will you really use me? How can you use a clown?' But God gave me Psalm 39:89: 'I stay silent; I do not open my mouth for it is you that works.'"
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