The Passion of the Christ

I went and saw "The Passion of the Christ" last night.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed. It was beautiful and awful. I was touched and horrified. I was inspired, but completely silent. These are the range of emotions I experienced as I caught a glimpse of what the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was like. To say Jesus died for my sins is one thing. To watch it happen is entirely different.

We live in a time when movie making is not only a profitable business, but it is an artistic outflow with creative potential like the world has never had before. We can simulate worlds from long ago, creatures long extinct, and bring the dead back to life. I have looked at works of art like Da Vinci's "Last Supper” and been filled with wonder as to what all the characters might be thinking, saying, doing. I’ve listened to pieces of music and been inspired in ways I cannot describe. But as I watched "The Passion" last night, I was confronted with the great question of Christ's sacrifice: why? As a Christ follower, it is a question that I hope and pray everyone faces and answers.

In the end, as much as the counter-culture (and in my world, that's the *Christian culture*) twenty-something inside me would like to say otherwise, I cannot say, "it was just a movie". I don't believe this film was intended to be "just" another movie, nor do I believe it was. With complete sincerity, I believe this movie will change the way I view my relationship with Christ. It certainly hasn't transformed me into some saint that will never betray my grace-giving God! In that sense, it was definitely just a movie. But it has deepened and richened my evaluation of what it really means to follow in the footsteps of the one I claim as my savior. It has made scripture come alive to me in a way so vivid, that I can't help but feel closer to the love that Christ freely gives me, but I rarely truly embrace and experience for myself. This movie is a dramatic reminder of Christ’s love for me and the very reason I should return that love to Him.

As Shelley and I got home last night -- we were trying to put words to the overwhelming experience we had just encountered. As we were sharing, she said something very poignant to me and I'd like to share it here.

"I try to think if I could go through anything like that for the people I love most in this world, let alone everyone that has ever lived. But even if I just narrow it down to me dying for you . . . it would be like me being crucified to save you and you being the one nailing me to the cross."

And that is truly the mystery of the Christian faith. The amazing love of God that we don't deserve. We certainly haven't earned it. We are given life through it. And are called to freely share it.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." - John 15:9-17

Man of the Year Awards

Dallas in February

Looking out over my balcony this morning I noticed something unusual.

Best Sound Editing

So my thought for today comes from watching part of the Grammy's last night. What are your thoughts on awards ceremonies like that? Whether these types of events interest you or not, it isn’t difficult to recognize the fascination that comes with events like this. Celebrities, music, competition, suspense, fashion, etc. Certainly, the Academy Awards take the cake when it comes to capturing people's interest and curiosity.

As an avid aficionado of both films and music, these types of events usually interest me on some level. Over that past few years, though, I have lost the capacity to sit through even brief portions of these things. I'm interested enough to read about them the next day, but frankly, the entire spectacle seems incredibly narcissistic and a huge self-tribute. The megalomania of events like this is on par with people who have websites where they post their life events, photos, and every mundane thought that crosses their mind. Wait a sec... Scratch that last point.

Anyway, I have grown tired of these ceremonies. At least the Grammy's provide a slew of live performances to entertain the viewer. But the Oscars rely on often disappointing comedians and the latest Disney song performed by Elton John or Phil Collins spattered between exciting awards like "Best Sound Editing". (How do they determine all those editing awards anyway?) After which, as the clock nearly strikes midnight, they finally give out the anti-climactic award for "Best Picture".

Fortunately, we, the viewer, have been able to use gambling, alcohol, and large gatherings of friends to salvage the Academy Awards in what we affectionately have come to know as "The Oscars Party". Yes, good ol' debauchery to the rescue again!

In the end, whether you drink a Barqs or a Heineken, the only part of the Oscars Party that usually disappoints is, of course, the awards ceremony itself.

On a side note, I’ve been itching for the opportunity to use the word megalomania for weeks.