Is there anything left to say about Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ?” Since the subject matter is inexhaustible, perhaps one more column….
The Jesus story is history. But how we tell history depends upon what we take from the life we report on and the meaning we deduce.
The gospels themselves do that. They don’t tell everything: They tell what they think is significant in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God did not bypass the minds or experience of the writers by inspiring their writing. God used their personalities and interests, their literacy and faith visions, and the communities in the time they were writing for as filters through which to pour the truth of salvation.
The same is true of Gibson’s movie. It is his personal and artistic vision of what is spiritually compelling in Jesus’ self-offering to God for the world. Gibson aims at the passion proper, the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life. He focuses on the intense suffering that it took to defeat sin and the devil, thus opening a pathway of hope for a humanity that is caught in the web of sin.
The movie is breathtaking – both in the awe it inspires and the gasping in horror it evokes. Whether those outside the faith (or those inside it) can see the redemptive aspect of the suffering, whether they can make the connection between one man’s bloody faithfulness and their deepest need, is the deepest question left open to every viewer.
Some viewing tips:
- Read the book before and after you see the movie to get a wider perspective (Gibson drew from all four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – along with some Catholic tradition to make the film);
- Ask yourself what the story means to you;
- Whom do you identify with most (Jesus himself, the disciples, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Pilate, the Jewish leaders, Simon of Cyrene?);
- If you are a Christian, talk to Jewish friends about their feelings and assure them that anti-Jewish sentiments are contrary to your faith;
- Ask yourself whether the experience calls for any changes in your own life.
The passion of the Christ calls for the passion of the Christians. Loving and forgiving one’s neighbors can be dangerous work, but it is always God’s work and always worth doing.
