The Passion

Erin, Hope, and I went and saw "The Passion" last night (Gary is at a weekend "retreat" called the "Walk of Emmaus" - but, due to his job, had already previewed the movie). I ordered tickets on-line on Thursday and the earliest show I could us into was 8:40 PM Friday night. I went and picked up the tickets about 7:25 (this is after all of the 7:00 movies start, but before people really start showing up for the 8:30-9:00 movies so the pick-up line is non-existent). We left the Hundley home, tissues tucked away in our pockets, at 8:00 and arrived by 8:15 and headed into the theater.

The entire atmosphere of the theater was eerie; a kind of solemn spirit hung heavy over the crowd. There was a long line waiting to get in the actual theater...there was no line at the concession stands. We walked into the theater about 8:25 to find our seats and the place was already full. However, the audience was quite different from the normal crowd one sees at this theater on Friday nights. Absent were pre-teens, tweens, and teens...and the ruckus that surrounds them. Soft murmuring rose from the crowd like steam off a hot bowl soup...barely noticeable, but there. People seemed uneasy.

I was afraid. To be honest, I've been apprehensive about seeing this movie. Do I really want to be impacted? Do I really want to know the suffering and experience that day in the way that a movie can let you experience it? I am comfortable in my Christianity and was not sure I wanted to be motivated to change anymore. I sat down, butterflies in my stomach, knowing that despite my trepidation, I needed to see this film.

There were no previews, only the commercials and the mandatory ads pointing out the exits. Without any credits the movie started.

I will not mention anything more about the film, since some of you have not seen it. Just let me say that it was powerful, artistic, and accurate.

My only regret is that I knew too much about the movie. Due to the media barrage and many interviews and previews, I was ready for the film. I had partitioned off my mind from the physical brutality that was shown and was able to watch the film in a more analytical fashion. I wish I had not been able to be ready for it so that I could have experienced the emotion of the film like Erin and Hope did. Erin sobbed softly beside me for a good deal of the movie, jumping in her seat as the storm of lashes hailed down upon Jesus.

When the movie ended a thick, mournful fog kept people in their seats. We all sat there, pondering the film we had just seen; trying desperately to understand it. No one wanted to be the first to move, to break the almost mystical spell that the actors had put upon us. No one wanted to leave and return to the world...we just wanted to continue to bask in the demonstration of the love of the Almighty.

I want to see the film again when I can truly try to analyze and understand it. The movie is full of symbolism, some of which I understood immediately and some of which I don't get at all. This was truly a piece of divinely-inspired art. I am leading the communion thought tomorrow and had waited to prepare for it until after I saw the movie. I'm not sure what I am going to share yet.