by Judi McLeod
February 23, 2004
With the final release of The Passion of The Christ, Mel Gibson touches the lives of so many. Gibson is resurrecting the concept of Christ in a world long headed towards the lesser ideals of materialism and secular humanism.
In a world where big moneymen Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong are replacing the Ten Commandments with the phony Earth Charter, how many lost souls will return to the flock in ash Wednesday’s darkened movie theatres?
Under the unrelenting aegis of the United Nations, Gorbachev and Strong, have been fighting Christianity at the wrong front, the pulpit. But who would ever have suspected the brave heart in the age-old battle would emerge in the persona of a Hollywood film star?
They must be wringing their hands ala Pontius Pilate at the United Nations, which is lobbying for universal acceptance of the new god, Mother Earth over the biblical one.
Tinseltown must be in the biggest pre-Oscar night flap of its entire history.
More determined in real life than his Braveheart screen image of William Wallace, Gibson brought in Jim Caviezel to play Christ for a movie destined to bring protestors out in droves on ash Wednesday.
The script of this Hollywood movie is the real thing: Scripture. Detailing the last 12 hours of the life of God’s Son on earth in the most graphic of details, the film tells the greatest story on earth.
Details during the shooting of the film, once known, tantalized soul-searching theatregoers long before The Passion of the Christ ever made it to the screen.
In its own way, the conversion to Christianity of people working on the set was as dramatic as the lightning that struck Caviezel while he was shooting the Sermon on the Mount scene.
No mere mortal could take more than 10 minutes at a time, the crucifixion scene, filmed in — 4 C weather in fierce high winds and causing for the crucified, both a separated shoulder and the painful return to a prior chest injury.
While Hollywood colleagues were out there fighting the reelection of George W. Bush, Gibson, Caviezel Company were fighting to keep their commitment to biblical authenticity, the elements and growing controversy.
Can you imagine any Hollywood actor owning up to this stated devotion to the Lord: "I love Him more than I ever knew possible.
"I love him more than my wife, my family."
How it must haunt Hollywood wags that Caviezel only came to stardom after an injury forced him out of his first professional love, basketball and that Gibson really wanted to be a journalist.
It took more than Braveheart courage for Gibson to admit to a sneering Diane Sawyer that he carries a piece of the habit of 19th century augustinian nun anne Catherine Emmerich as a relic.
a devout Catholic, Gibson attended Mass every morning during filming "We had to be squeaky clean just working for this."
The modern-day prophet who made reality out of dream came not from out of the wilderness but from Hollywood & Vine.
Centuries later, the Judas Iscariats and the Pontius Pilates will be rolling in their graves.
David’s stone will hit its mark on ash Wednesday, 2000--thanks to the commitment of a mere mortal. a mortal who dared dream: "I hope this film has the power to evangelize."
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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