Okay, I dont mean to get into a battle of the reviews here, but perhaps
you can at least see from this article that, just maybe, this film can
still go places in which the church has rendered herself impotent.  If we
put all our hope in this film, we are wrong, but it can be a tool for
evangelism if we are willing to use it.
God bless,
Kathy


You probably have heard of the Mel Gibson film "The Passion," opening
tomorrow in many theaters.
Much debated and often contraversial, here is a testimoney from Paul
Harvey,
after personal viewing the movie.... Pretty powerful...
From: Barbara Voges
>To: 'Howard & Dorothy'
>Cc: 'Diana Voges' ; 'Andrea Voges' ; David A. Voges
>Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 7:41 AM
>Subject: RE: Paul Harvey "The Rest of the Story"
>
>
>Thanks for this forward even though Harvey is not someone I prefer to
list
>too.  But there has been a lot of talk about this film and it was good
to
>read while noting that I have not seen the film.  Generally I cannot
bear
>violent films so don't know if I will see it.  I was struck but the
>comments of one of the viewers "It is my sins that killed Jesus."  And
that
>is the key, MY sins - not the sins of others.  It seems in this world
that
>the sins of others are judged to be more significant than our own.  I
can
>think of no where in the Bible where it ranks sins from worst to least.
>And this pain that God suffered goes beyond our human understanding.  We
>only get a small taste of it when we lose someone we love.  And I pray
each
>day for compassion for our human race which is so often so very
>disappointing but evidently highly treasured by our God.
PAUL HARVEY COMMENTS ON "THE PASSION"  BY MEL GIBSON
>
>The majority of the media are complaining about this movie. Now Paul
Harvey
>tells "The rest of the story". Most people would wait and see a movie
>before giving the reviews that have been issued by the reporters trying
to
>tell all of us what to believe.
>
>Paul Harvey's words:
>
>I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been
invited
>to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but I had also
>read all the cautious articles and spin. I grew up in a Jewish town and
owe
>much of my own faith journey to the influence. I have a life long,
deeply
>held aversion to anything that might even
>indirectly encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or
actions.
>  I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion," held in
Washington,
>DC and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was typically
>Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but seeming to look
>beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words. The film was very briefly
>introduced, without fanfare, and then the room darkened. From the
gripping
>opening scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the very
>human and tender portrayal of the earthly ministry of Jesus, through the
>betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the way of the cross, the encounter
>with the thieves, the surrender on the Cross, until the final scene in
the
>empty tomb, this was not simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike
>anything I have ever experienced.
>
>In addition to being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic
triumph,
>"The Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and emotional reaction
>within me than anything since my wedding, my ordination or the birth of
my
>children. Frankly, I will never be the same. When the film concluded,
this
>"invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" in Washington, DC
were
>shaking indeed, but this time from
>sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that
had
>been glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could
speak
>because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art
>that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth.
>
>One scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A
brutalized,
>wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of the cross. His
>mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As she ran to him, she
>flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child, falling in the dirt road
>outside of their home. Just as she reached to protect him from the fall,
>she was now reaching to touch his wounded adult face. Jesus looked at
her
>with intensely probing and passionately loving eyes (and at all of us
>through the screen) and said "Behold I make all things new." These are
>words taken from the last Book of the New Testament, the Book of
>Revelations. Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the
wounds,
>that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His face, His
>back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. They had
been
>borne voluntarily for love.
>
>At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a
>question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film,
from
>a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were
effusive.
>The questions included the one question that seems to follow this film,
>even though it has not yet even been released. "Why is this film
considered
>by some to be 'anti-Semitic?" Frankly, having
>now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the Passion" it is a
>question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire sat
in
>front of me. He raised his hand and responded "After watching this film,
I
>do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even remotely
presents
>that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." He continued "It made me
realize
>that my sins killed Jesus" I agree. There is not a
>scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film.
If
>there were, I would be among the first to decry it. It faithfully tells
the
>Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, sensitive and profoundly
engaging
>way.
>
>Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have
>another agenda behind their protestations. This is not a "Christian"
film,
>in the sense that it will appeal only to those who identify themselves
as
>followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply human, beautiful story that
will
>deeply touch all men and women. It is a profound work of art. Yes, its
>producer is a Catholic Christian and thankfully has remained faithful to
>the Gospel text; if that is no longer acceptable behavior than we are
all
>in trouble. History demands that we remain faithful to the story and
>Christians have a right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the
>greatest story ever told and that
>its message is for all men and women. The greatest right is the right to
>hear the truth.
>
>We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives to
>which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who
followed
>a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed the history
of
>the world. The problem is not the message but those who have distorted
it
>and used it for hate rather than love. The solution is not to censor the
>message, but rather to promote the kind of gift
>of love that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The Passion."
>
>It should be seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do
everything
>I can to make sure that is the case. I am passionate about "The
Passion."
>You will be as well. Don't miss it! Paul Harvey
>__________________________
>Please copy this and send it on to all your friends to let them know
about
>this film so that we may all go see it when it comes out on February
25th.
>We can then form our own opinion.
>
>Dan & Grace Fogarty
>20549 Breezyhill Drive
>Ashburn, VA 20147
>Home:    (703) 729-1853
>Dan Cell (703) 772-1799
>Grace Cell (703) 727-6773
>
>
>
>
>
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