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Feb 22, 2004 When I was at work one day recently, my coworkers were discussing several movies coming out. When Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ came up, it was near unanimous that they were not going to see it. One, an elder in his church and fill-in preacher, stated that the reason that he was not going to see it was that it was too violent, and that he already knew all the details of the story. This statement stunned me. Here was someone that had a huge responsibility with the prayer lives of his fellow congregants-- almost as much as the pastor’s--and he was not interested because he felt that this was unnecessary viewing. My own feeling is that he did not want to experience the emotions that would have been raised viewing it. Gibson has stated that he went to the Gospels, researched them, and presented his interpretation of what happened that day, doing his best to hold nothing back and present as accurate a portrayal as was humanly possible. I have studied the Gospels myself, and my opinion on every movie made on the life of Christ up to now has placed a thick sugarcoat over the events leading up to and including His crucifixion. It is has always amazed me the effect this story, simply told with full details, will have on people. If you are involved in seeking justice and the rights of others, then this story will outrage you. Christ went through six trials, all illegal, between his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his bearing of the cross. If you look to Christ as your Savior, you will be humbled by what he endured for you. In 1984, I was on a weekend retreat with about 30 others. The very last speaker included the full medical description of what happened to Christ’s body as he hung on the cross for those six hours in his talk. As he related this description, people were openly weeping. I myself felt shock and horror. I have not seen anything like the flow of tears that day , before or since. What’s more, the full description of Christ’s suffering emblazoned itself on my mind that day. Twenty years later, it still remains fresh and vivid, as though I had just heard it. I have yet to see this movie as of this writing. I am apprehensive, because I know what I would be seeing. Hearing about it and having it depicted vividly before your eyes are two very different things. I have resolved that I will see it because anything less would be shying away from the truth. ------------ About the author: Paul Carter is unique; he thinks that a Grant Green jazz guitar solo, The Federalist Papers, an El Greco painting, the National Football League, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church are all interesting. When not working a home business, he is a graphic artist. Email Paul Carter: paulcarterdesign@earthlink.net Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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