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".
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!