Not exactly a date movie

Lent was originally a period of forty days of fasting and repentance to prepare the Christian for the feast on the Easter Sunday. It was a time of reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection. Traditionally, churches baptized new converts on Holy Saturday, after six weeks of Bible classes instructing the new converts in the basics of the Christian faith.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days, not including the Sundays- because any Sunday is supposed to be a celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. It also doesn’t include St. Patrick’s Day – at least in the Catholic Church. That’s because it was a festival or feast day in the liturgical calendar.

It also doesn’t include my birthday, which is usually in Lent, but it DOES include YOUR birthday. Why? Because I SAY SO that’s why! Mu-Waha-Ha (maniacal laugh).

Okay, that wasn’t funny, it was just dumb, sorry.

Many of my students have been asking me if I’ve seen Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ yet. Actually, we spent several hours on Ash Wednesday (my birthday), in Omaha at the Creighton Medical Center with a developmental pediatrician who examined Grace and determined that if she indeed has dysarthria, it is part of a greater issue, either Oromotor dsypraxia/apraxia and/or motor dyscoordination. Whatever that all means. Hopefully she can qualify for speech therapy under our insurance, but an MRI would help our case. Of course, those run almost $2,000 and the insurance company will pay for 90% of it- once the deductible is paid, whine whine.

We were seriously thanking the Lord that she’s not in a wheel chair, she can think and see and hear and breath and smile. Many of the children we saw at the medical center are far worse off.

From how horrifically violent The Passion is supposed to be, we didn’t think we should take Grace. I’d hate to have my four year old frightened of Jesus. I’ve heard rumors that an elderly woman from the Dunlap area actually suffered a heart attack and died while watching that movie.

The wonderful thing about Gibson’s film (from the point of view of someone who hasn’t seen it yet) is that it moves people. It’s moved some to tears, (even macho guys) it’s moved them to think, and it moves them to discuss Jesus and religion with others.

Many of the kids in Dunlap certainly are. Naturally it’s a little frustrating for me to keep from violating their first amendment right of separation of church and state by not giving them all my opinions, but it’s thrilling to listen to them exercising their first amendment rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

I imagine that Gibson hopes it will move people to reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection- I’m sure that’s why he released it at the beginning of Lent. My prayer is that it will move people to read the Passion and Easter stories for themselves in the Bible. And, thereby, hopefully, it will be moving them into their savior’s arms.

I read one critic who worried that Gibson failed to show any of Jesus’ eloquence, ethics, philosophy, personality and character by focusing on the brutality of His suffering and martyrdom. I’m not sure how any artist can portray a fair balance of law and gospel. Why shouldn’t we feel some shame and guilt for how much Jesus suffered for our eternal salvation? I think it was important for audiences to appreciate what WWII veterans went through on D-Day in Saving Private Ryan, and it’s imperative that audiences see what Jews suffered at the hands of the NAZIs in Shindler’s List.

But there should be a balance. Take Lent itself. It’s amazing how few Protestant Christians and un-churched people have even heard of the season. Some of us just take it for granted as another part of life. The Catholic tradition teaches that one’s faith is maintained by doing works of love and penance. Lutherans want to be very careful to never make the mistake of thinking that ANYTHING we can do could ever get us into Heaven, since our salvation was won by Jesus on the cross. Consequently, we often avoid the ideas of piety and penance as much as they can.

As an Irish Lutheran (Catholic grandparents), I can tell you that both Lutherans and Catholics are great at reflection, self-examination, (sometimes called “guilt”). Some of us are so practiced and conditioned that just a Scripture passage or a hymn can remind us that we didn’t deserve to be saved and Jesus didn’t deserve to die. However, perhaps the rest of society has become so jaded that we need a movie that dedicates 45 minutes just to the crucifixion itself.

As far as the spiritual redirection goes, my problem is that no mater how devout or dutiful I try to be, my Lenten resolutions look a lot like New Year’s resolutions. Self-centered attempts at self-improvement that eventually self destruct. For example: I drink WAY too much coffee. I intended to go cold turkey. I had such a headache the first night I thought I was suffering withdraws from cocaine or heroin. Bethany advised me to cut back to one or two cups a day, rather than a pot and a half or none at all. I took her advice. I hope God understands.

He probably will. I don’t know if during Lent we’re supposed to surrender stuff to show God how much we appreciate what Jesus did or if we’re supposed to sacrifice stuff so that we suffer a little and that helps us appreciate the suffering and sacrifices He made. Maybe we’re just supposed to reflect, self-examine, and spiritual redirect in any way that works. Since the victory is won and we know the end of the story, that Jesus rose again, maybe it’s not a matter of giving up anything.

We’re trying to read devotions together and I’m trying to be better about reading at least one chapter of the Bible a day. The goal is not to be better people or “holier” Christians. The goal is to learn more about God and what His plan is for our lives. I’m interested in seeing Passion of the Christ, but God won’t love me any less if I don’t. Besides, it’s not exactly a “date movie.” Who spends money on a babysitter unless you’re going out on a date?