The Passion of the Veritas

“If you will not hear the truth, no one can tell you.”

I saw “The Passion of the Christ” a few weeks ago, and I’m just now processing the imagery. In a word: Wow. I’m very excited about the film. The artistry of it (not to take away from the message) is sheer brilliance. It’s quite an elegant interpretation. To see the burden of the Cross in flashback with the triumphant palm branch entrance is a stroke of genius. Likewise, to see Christ’s sympathy for the woman accused of adultery, and then the roles reversed as the same woman gazes up at Jesus on the cross of her sin. Powerful stuff.

The performances were stunning, all working with so little dialog. A film of such poignancy is such a long way from the “Omega Code” corner of Christian filmmaking.

One note is that this sort of film helps almost requires prior knowledge of its subject matter to have a more complete understanding of the symbolism. There is a decided lack of context for much of the story and characters. This was intentional, as the film portrays only this portion of Christ’s ministry. Roger Ebert’s review sums it up better than I can.

One thing is for certain, not matter what your religious or spiritual background: everyone must make a decision about this man. Whether conscious or not, whether pro or con, as Dylan would say,

You gotta serve somebody

Perhaps you conclude that the man named Yeshua was indeed a God-man hybrid, or just a hoax propagated by Paul and the early Church. Maybe you don’t give a damn about him and his message or if he even existed. One way or another, you have to decide what to do with him.

I recommend the film, but be prepared for harrowing visceral experience.

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