Be sure to meet the enemy in The Passion of Christ

 

When I was a youth in the '60's, some vandals entered Trinity Church one night and desecrated it. By all accounts, the resulting scene was disgusting. The very first to respond was the local synagogue, who aided the cleaning. Perhaps their readiness to help arose out of their peoples' long history of being profaned themselves. In any case, I remember it as a gracious and loving gesture. Now, I want to do unto them as they have done unto me.

I wasn't invited to preview "The Passion of the Christ," but I read the book. Actually, I've read and re-read not one book, but the four Gospels with their accounts of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Not having seen the movie, I can't begin to guess whether it's anti-Semitic or not. But, many who have seen the movie come down on both sides of that question. "Yes, it is." "No, it isn't." "It is!" "It isn't!"

Whether Mel Gibson's most recent film is anti-Semitic or not, it might inadvertently give casual viewers the wrong impression. Sure, there were some Jewish leaders involved in Christ's death, but they weren't the only guys wearing black hats. We can add the Roman Governor, Pilate, and the legionnaires who implemented his orders. Certainly, there were religious ideas being bandied about, but these were more a pretext for the execution than its real reason. The involved Jews and Romans were motivated by human concerns; they were seeking to preserve their place, privilege, and power in the Judeao- Roman state. I trust Mr. Gibson when he says he is true to his sources, but "Passion" audiences best watch closely and listen carefully.

Even the gist of the Gospel accounts can be missed. John, especially, can be misleading when he speaks repeatedly and unspecifically of "the Jews." But all the accounts make it clear enough that sin has no ethnicity. Their message is accurately echoed in Johann Heermann's seventeenth century hymn, "Ah, holy Jesus." The Lutheran pastor asked of Christ's death, "Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?" He answered, "T'was I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee: I crucified thee."

Informed, faithful Christians confess that they as much as anybody are implicated in Christ's death. In fact, some churches dramatize this on Passion Sunday or Good Friday by nailing sins to a wooden cross. Sure beats nailing our neighbors! And if "The Passion of the Christ" is true, it will likewise reflect Pogo's insight: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

 

 

 

Bruce Michaud

Everyday Faith

The Alpena News, Feb. 21, 2004