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The Passion of the Christ The Passion of the Christ dramatically and graphically captures the last 12 hours of Christ's life on Earth, accurately based on the four gospels. The film - unique passion has stirred controversy Gibson wanted to make the most accurate movie possible and I think he succeeded. After a special public screening for the Global Pastors Network the furor has reached proportions almost as epic as the story itself. Vocal critic of the movie, Abraham Foxman, president of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, snuck into the screening, posing as a pastor. According to Foxman, "at every single opportunity, Gibson's film reinforces the notion that the Jewish authorities and the Jewish mob are the ones ultimately responsible for the Crucifixion. " (Source - The Jerusalem Post) There is much more.
According to Chicago Times a growing number of Chicago area churches are buying up thousands of tickets for their members (! ), almost a month before the move will open there. This is so far beyond anything I've seen in terms of putting the word out. But nobody's ever done what Gibson done: take a huge, personal risk out of a huge, personal conviction that this story needs to be told. Amen to that. I think that the movie has some impressive backing; the most eminent supporter appears to be Pope John Paul II, who saw the movie on video. On December 16 several media services, quoting different Vatican sources, reported that the Pope had called the movie "incredible" and in a resonating phrase declared: "It is as it was. " Though that may be in doubt I was not hard to guess that Jews and Christians who fear Mel Gibson's epic on the crucifixion of Jesus will fuel anti-Semitism are planning lecture series, interfaith talks and other programs to try to mute the film's impact.
Leaders of Reform Judaism, a liberal branch of the religion, are preparing educational materials for members and encouraging them to sit down with churches in your community The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through its panel on Lutheran-Jewish relations, is urging pastors to "teach boldly" that the mainline Protestant denomination does not "demean, malign or harm the Jewish people" when preaching the Gospel. (The Courier Press). Taking advantage of the impressive publicity, people might use the movie as a Christian outreach tool. I think that perhaps it will be the greatest outreach opportunity in 2000 years. Not to be outdone, the movie is selling a multimedia outreach kit for youth. Before I went to see The Passion, one word was continually ringing in my ears: Violence. People warned me, If you dont like violent films, you wont like this.
They were right. Of course as a Christian I did not like seeing my Lord brutally punished. I found it shattering, revolting and incredibly graphic. I also found it necessary.
It is the norm for church groups today to condemn violence in the media in almost any shape or form and most of the time it is for good reason. Today, many films depict violence without consequences. People are shot and they die. There is very little emotional involvement. This is what our present culture looks like. What struck me about the violent nature of The Passion was the emotion involved in it.
You feel every cut and every blow. You are so repulsed you look away once or twice. Eventually, you are brought to a point where you pray for it to stop. And then, you leave the cinema and reflect. You think about why Jesus died and the fact that you didnt feel comfortable watching it makes you ashamed. Jesus didnt just have to see it, he had to endure it.
This morning I saw a crucifix on the street and looked at it differently. I appreciated the sacrifice in a deeper way - no longer with my academic Sunday school mentality. Would I take a child to see this movie? Probably not. Would I take a non-Christian? Most Certainly.
This movie repeats on you. It manifests in your mind and makes you question what you believe and what you are going to do about it. Mel Gibson has created something quite profound. The Passion does not convey what I want to share with people about Christ. Within the movie lies the assumption that if every detail of the violence is graphically depicted, the film somehow gives a truer witness to Christ. As I watched, I found Jesus life being overshadowed by brutality.
Some flashbacks depict key incidents in Jesus life- the last supper; the Sermon on the Mount. However, these incidents are not allowed to stand in their own right- they serve more to give the audience momentary relief from the torture scenes. Jesus personality; his mission; his understanding of God is all submerged beneath the monumental suffering he is forced to endure. The Passion, then, will be most useful as an accessory to an existing faith. For church-goers who know the other parts of Jesus story, the vivid depiction of the Crucifixion will make that part of the Gospel more real; more immediate.
However, there is very little in the film that speaks to Jesus love for people, or the love of God. The audience is left to fill in the gaps based on what they already understand of the Gospel. For a non-Christian, the films message is obscured by the near-pornographic violence. Perhaps this explains why, in the screening I attended, sections of the audience applauded at the end of the film, while others sat in stunned silence. This leaves me with the question, then, what do I want to share with people about Christ?
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