Place: home
Poison: pear
Favorite things: Charl and his friends dancing to the Xbox kinect!
A few years ago when I sat in a Subiaco cinema watching ‘the passion of the Christ’ I was offended by the sheer graphic nature of the film.
The film offended me, as I believe it should anyone.
This story should not become old to us and the sheer pain this man experienced should never be watered down as we hear it’s content year after year.
The walk towards the cross was a graphic one. Christ was taunted and tortured, He was bullied and ripped apart.
Lenten blog
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. (Matthew 27:27-34 NIV)
R rated films desensitize our sense of perspective to the agony portrayed in this historical account.
Computer war games, CSI crime detective shows on television and our nightly news all contribute to our societies lack of sensitivity to violence.
This Easter, try and lay down your desensitized, computer violence, saturated minds and engage your hearts and thoughts towards the true essence of this story.
Immerse yourself as a crowd participant standing alongside the walk to Golgotha.
Reflect upon the power of what Christ endured for your freedom.
Can you now turn your head away and dismiss its power?
Honestly, although I’m a strong believer, there are many days that I do not allow the intensity of this account to impact me fully.
Often I ignore it’s power because I’ve heard it all before and I don’t really care.
I’m trying to change this apathy this Easter?
As you get ready to smash your shopping trolley with chocolate and hot cross buns this week, how about leaving some space for the real story.
Blood, sweat, tears and all…
A
