  With the guidance of a good friend, I looked up the word passion as it is used in the Bible. In some places, the Greek word epithymia (meaning desire) was used. In other places, it uses the Greek word pyroo (meaning to burn). Both of these definitions fit my image of the word we use today. However, in two places in the new testament, the original Greek word is pathema, which means suffering. Tonight I saw The Passion of the Christ, the highly touted movie that was the epithymia of Mel Gibson.
I tried to not think much about the movie before I saw it, after all, we have all been beguiled by the hype of a flick that did not stand up to reality (i.e. Pearl Harbor). I decided I was going to be positive, but I would simply go see a movie that I hoped would have a deeper meaning that could be reflected in my faith. Now that I have seen the movie, I believe the name is not only appropriate, but beautiful. First, the movie is about suffering.
I’m not sure how others see the church as it is presented today, but I believe we teach a lot about God’s love, loving others, and doing the right thing. This is good, Jesus was all about love. I am certainly not suggesting that we should go back to the days (not that they are over) where pastors preached about hellfire and brimstone. That was just a Christian outreach of Pharisee-like behavior management by good-intentioned clergy who didn’t know any better. Perhaps it’s not even the church. I hear all the time about how Jesus died for my sins, but it becomes mundane and meaningless after a while.
I know I have tried to give it more meaning in my mind, but now it has more meaning in my eyes and my heart. Second, the movie is about desire. Jesus had free will, just as we all do, to decide our own course. He chose a path of peace that was plagued by violence, despair, torture, and death. But he did this so that we all might have a chance to be part of that peace and paradise that was planned for us from the beginning.
I believe that I am becoming too philosophical and separated from myself as I continue to write, so I am going to bring this back down to where I really am and tell how I experienced the movie and then get into what I think about others watching the movie. I’m sure all have heard by now that the movie is violent and intense. It is. But it seems to be historically accurate and a good reflection of what Christ experienced.
Please notice that I said this is a reflection. Here is a good, yet frightening way to put this movie into perspective. If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably seen quite a few sporting events on TV. Even though you may get a better view at home, sitting in front of the TV, it doesn’t compare to experiencing the event in person, live, at the stadium. If you’ve ever played sports, you also know that the intensive goes up another hundred-fold if you are playing in the game.
Now imagine what you’ve just seen on the movie screen and imagine how much more intense it would have been to be there in person. Then multiple that by 100 times and you still can’t imagine what it was like to be Jesus. I didn’t really cry during the movie, but was nearly overcome with sadness on a few occasions throughout the movie. I was most emotionally sympathetic at the suffering of the innocent man as he was beaten nearly to death.
I felt like I was dying inside at from witnessing the fear of a man who felt alone and abandoned by God as he hung dying from a cross. Mostly, I was astonished by the Savior who explained that he continued to chose to go down this path again and again, every step of the way so that we might be saved. I had three odd thoughts that came to mind while watching the movie. • First, I kept thinking about how the lives on most people in the world went on that day without interruption or knowledge of the significance of what was happening. I imagined parents playing with their children. I imagined men getting up and preparing to go out and work in their fields.
I imagined businessmen working in the markets and wondering what the commotion was a couple blocks away as Jesus was passing by and struggling to carry his cross. Imagine being Jesus and wondering if more than half a dozen people even cared that you were losing you life that day and you were doing it for them. • Second, I wondered what it was like on those days between the crucifixion and the resurrection. Were those days that the world existed without the intervention of God, and was simply in the hands of people and evil powers?
• Finally, at the time of the resurrection, which was very brief in the movie, I didn’t think of a triumphant Jesus or have any thought of jubilation. I had more of a feeling of relief and starting over, which until right now, I didn’t realize was probably the right feeling to have. My thoughts were of a business man who had just finished a job that had worn him out and taken all he had to give.
Then in the morning, he gets up, gets dressed, and heads out the door with a smile and a quite confidence that comes from knowing that the past is behind him and it’s time to begin a new day with a fresh start. The last thing I want to discuss is who I believe will get the most out of this movie and why. I believe the greatest value of this movie will be felt by people who already believe in Christ and want to grow in their faith. I believe that this movie can be good for those who are interested, but may not be believers, but I believe that there is more value to seeing the movie for the first time as a believer. It’s kind of like seeing the Wizard of Oz while you are a child. There is a sense of wonder that you get as Dorothy goes on her journey throughout Oz. As you get older, you start to see more details and nuances, but the best part is that you repeatedly experience that same wonder you had as a child. With this movie, I think that you might learn quite a bit about Jesus and it may even prompt you to learn more, which would be good. But I believe that as you grow as a Christian, you will start to see more in the movie, but you won’t feel the intensity that you get with a deeper understanding. This doesn’t mean that I think non-Christians shouldn’t watch the movie, I just hope they can truly grasp it, not that I do. 
