2/26/2004 09:21:00 AM|||Andrew|||There seem to be a couple different views on The Passion, which I haven't yet seen. One view, the majority view among Christians perhaps, is the gungho, "this is the greatest evangelical tool ever," wholehearted buying into of Gibson's project that seems to pervade most of American Christianity. Then, there is the contrary view to this, perhaps well illustrated in a few places I've linked before, such as this essay I wrote about earlier, and this review of Kevin's, though his blog in general has become a collection of many Passion thoughts lately, so go check it out. And perhaps even a few comments I myself made earlier, and certainly the way I feel, essentially align me with this group more than another.

Just today I encountered someone with a bit of a different view than either of these. She hadn't bought into it wholeheartedly, but had gone to the film and experienced an uplifting of her faith, particularly as regards the flashbacks of Jesus' teaching. While she agreed with me that what the American church is disgracing itself with its falling all over this film, she also challenged me to examine my own heart, to cast out a cynical spirit or a feeling that I'm somehow above all this.

Well, here's what I think. I think that the film is ultimately just that, a film. Can it be used by God to strengthen a person's faith? Yes. Is it the greatest thing since the Bible? No. Is it wrong for the Christian to see it, or contrariwise, not to see it? No and no. I think that the proper attitude for the Christian seeing the film is one, not of hype and expectation of enormous spiritual growth, not of cynicism and attack, but one of at least two things:

1. Hesitation.
I think that given the film's subject matter, we need to be sure that the film follows some Biblical guidelines, as found in the following passages.

1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, 4:3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on earth under it, or that is in the water below. 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, who visits the iniquity of fathers on children, even to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 20:6 but who extends faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

I'm not attempting to make a judgement on the film here, merely pointing to two instances of Scripture that address some of the issues the film raises. I think that the Christian needs to keep these passages in mind and needs to engage the film on this level. Don't automatically buy into the film and assume it something of God. Test it.

2. Openness
This is the converse of Hesitation. If the film is not be assumed to be from God, neither should it be assumed to be the work of the devil.

Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!
3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.
3:9 “There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years.
3:10 “Therefore, I became provoked at that generation and said, ‘Their hearts are always wandering and they have not known my ways.’
3:11 “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’”
3:12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. 3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. 3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.

As Christians, we must be open to the voice of God, wherever it is found. If we reject this film (or any other enterprise) out of hand because of our own reasoning, then we run the risk of hardening our hearts, of rebelling against God. Despite reservations about the grisly, Hollywood, sensationalized nature of The Passion, God may (and will, I have no doubt) work though it. Listen to what Paul writes:

Philippians 1:17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. 1:18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.

In summary, I don't think that it's somehow necessary for a Christian to go see this film, and I don't think it's bad for a Christian to see this film. If you do see it, and I'm guessing most will (and probably already have), keep in mind hesitation and openness. I do intend to go see it, for at least two reasons. First, I promised my grandmother that I would go see it with her. That there is probably reason enough on its own. Second, I want to be able to engage with fellow Christians about the movie, and I won't be able to realistically do that if I don't see it. Say what you will about it, the film is at this point a major cultural force among evangelical Christians. To me, that would be reason enough. If by my seeing it I am then able to interact with someone about it and have a deep discussion about faith and Christ, then that is certainly worth it. The film, as I said, is just a film. It will pass in time, and people will forget it. But discussion and deeper understanding of Who Christ is will stay with the believer for a lifetime. That is worth it.|||107781607483440811|||