My take on "The Passion"
Category: Movies...
Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 03:28 PM [GMT-6]

I did something today I've never done before: I took off a couple of hours during the day, by myself, and saw a movie... "The Passion of the Christ," to be exact. I've heard so much hype and speculation, much of it from people who haven't seen the movie, and I wanted to judge it for myself, and to be able to provide input to others who might have questions in advance.

I'm still trying to assimilate what I saw and the feelings it engendered in me. It's a very personal film. By that I mean that one's reaction to it will flow directly out of one's personal relationship with God, and it won't really matter what anyone else thinks or says.

In my case, what I saw on the screen was nothing less than the story of a man, who in his very nature is the essence of God but who chose to take on the form of a human, and suffered, and died, and was resurrected in order that I... Eric Siegmund, currently of Midland, Texas, USA... might have the indescribable gift of heirship to the very throne of God, on which my Savior now reigns. I saw played out on the screen what I've known and understood in my heart for decades, but which I now see with a painful, wonderful clarity that was missing 'til now.

If you've read much on this blog, you know that I'm the last person to ascribe much significance to movies, beyond their superficial ability to entertain. It's just another medium...it's the story that matters, and the telling of it can enhance its value, but too often overshadows it, at least with most modern screenplays. In this case, when the essence of the screenplay comes from the very Mind of God, the telling of it can never overshadow the power of the story.

This hasn't stopped humans from trying, over the past two millenia. Whether the medium is the painting by someone like Caraveggio or Raphael, or the music by someone like Bach or Delirious, or the dancing of King David, we've sought to bring worship and honor to God by the works of our hands. Mel Gibson has sought to do the same thing in film. Whether he's succeeded from an artistic perspective, or even a theological one, I'll leave to those more qualified to judge. What I do know is that his offering caused me to move closer to God this afternoon, and for that, I thank him.