The Passion revisited

For weeks I had avoided seeing The Passion of the Christ, especially after all the controversy: accusations of anti-Semitism on the part of Gibson; excessive violence; overtly catholic interpretation of the crucifixion; the hype. After much resistance I finally succumbed yesterday and I must admit I was surprised. The Passion is a beautifully filmed spiritual epic about a man willing to turn the other cheek and take on the ignorance of the whole world by sacrificing himself as an example of what we can achieve in humanity. If you take away 2000 years of Christian history: the reinvention of Jesus from a prophet, rebel and a rabbi of peace of the Jewish people to a son of god to suit the Roman palette, the crusades, the use of Christianity to justify empire and the wholesale slaughter of millions of indigenous people and Jews in the name of a higher calling, well then you end up with a pretty profound message. Love. Compassion. Humanity. Self sacrifice.

Yes, the violence was extreme but almost lyrical, as in the beauty and awe that even a mushroom cloud can inspire. The Jewish rabbis did look a little rabid and foamy at the mouth and Pontius Pilate did come across as a humanitarian even though it is well known that in his reign thousands of Jews were crucified and put on public display to quell their dissatisfaction. The cross-carrying scene was excruciatingly long. But, overall the movie was deeply satisfying.

I came away with an increased sense of my own potential as a human being and I left with a spark of divinity reignited in my heart. While I would not sign up for the Christian religion, for religions are man-made institutions built around the realization of a teacher well after their death, I did come away with a deeper understanding of the universal message of Jesus. No matter what the world throws at you, no matter how people judge you or condemn you, you must continue to love and believe that there is a force in the universe that unites us all and we are just an illusory manifestation of that force trying desperately to help us realize our own divinity.

I am glad I saw it.