Passion...

[Kristen Bailey <youaremorethanyouthinkyouare@yahoo.com>]

It is interesting that no one had brought up the
subject of "The Passion" until now, especially since
there was so much media opinion going on.

I thought a lot about how to approach the movie before
I saw it.  After viewing it last weekend, I am still
formulating what I thought of it from many angles. 
Due to all of the anticipation of its release and the
idea that I would have to talk about it afterwards, I
came up with a few reminders for myself to keep me
focused.  In random order:

1.  Mel Gibson has made a lot of good and true
statements in his interviews.  He seems a true
believer that is producing various fruit to back that
up.  (And I'm not just talking about the movie.)  I
was slightly worried about a few of his statements
made in interviews because although I understand what
he is getting at, he should be careful about how he
says things.  People will always try to twist words. 
But one very important thing I chose to remember is
that he is human like all the rest of us.  Forgiven,
but human.  Not perfect.  But overall doing a fairly
good job.

2.  This movie is meant to be about the last twelve
hours of Jesus' life.  The passion, the suffering. 
The movie is meant to focus on the physical,
emotional, and spiritual suffering that this man (who
is God) endured.  It probably was more violent than
this movie could show.  Especially the emotional,
spiritual part.  You can give an idea of how someone
is suffering in those ways, but we could never truly
understand the absolute agony of this passion, this
suffering in which a man who is equal to God and IS
God chose to endure for the sake of humanity.  He
lowered himself to serve the Father.  He chose the way
of suffering.  He could have walked away.  He could
have taken himself right off of that cross and healed
himself.  But he had a purpose.  And that purpose was
to suffer and redeem for his beloved, all of us.  This
movie is not violent for violence's sake.  There is a
purpose in the violence, the suffering, the
redemption.

3.  This movie is not THE story.  It is the Biblical
story surrounded by fine details that we don't
necessarily get in the Scripture.  Are the details the
real thing?  Maybe some are, maybe some aren't.  But
the message makes the mark that it should.  It brings
it home.  Those fine details are just one perspective,
but I thought they were well done for the story.

So having made those reminders for myself:

Did this movie rock my spiritual world and shake its
foundation?  Not yet, but it may over time, even over
a lifetime.  Did it change things?  Yes.  It was a
good reminder, a good visual for something that
visually was only a picture in my mind.  When I was
watching it, I partially kept my personal self at a
distance.  I won't get into that, but one small reason
was because I wanted to share that experience with my
Lord only, not the whole theater.  That's just the way
I felt personally for me.  I really enjoyed the way
Satan was portrayed.  Not male or female.  Grotesque
but attractive.  Even the grotesque was attractive. 
And he waged the spiritual battle in the mind.  I
think that is forgotten a lot today, which means he is
doing well.  But we know his end.

All in all, I thought Mel Gibson presented the work
well.  He did the best he could to his human and
flawed ability and has risked being persecuted for the
truth.  And he has been.  What will be interesting to
see will be what happens next....

That's it,
K

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