Now Something Positive About ‘The Passion…’

So far, I haven’t had much good to say about the content of the much-discussed film The Passion of the Christ. But that’s only one side of the story.

Just now I received an email from a couple of friends who had gone to see the film with a non-believing niece and her husband. The latter two knew barely anything about the Bible and were deeply impressed by what they saw. The same goes, by the way, for the couple themselves. They are quite familiar with the Bible, recognized several non-biblical elements in the film, but still thought the overall experience was good.

After the film, the four of them talked from a quarter past nine in the evening until half past one in the morning—about the Evangel, the Bible, and more. Wonderful!

A few weeks ago, a neighbor came by and told us that she had gone to see The Passion… the night before. She had cried terribly during the film and was still deeply moved the next day by the price Jesus paid… for us. She doesn’t know much about the Bible, so I spared her my critical remarks. In such a context, it would have been foolish and unloving to trample over such a reaction with criticism of the film.

Recently, my wife Petra also went to see the film with her sister, and they too came home with a mainly positive impression. We spoke at length afterward about the film…

What I especially want to say is this: if a film causes many people to reflect on what the Bible has to say, then what does it matter if it’s a “bad” film? Or more modestly put: what does it matter that I think it’s a bad film?

Because even a bad film can produce much good! Many people become curious about the (much better) Script after seeing The Passion…

After all the critical remarks that have been made, I also wanted to have that said.

Delen: