Wishy washy

It's 230 am in the morning. I've been up since 6 am the previous morning.
Working. On call ...

Trying to admit this patient with multiple risk factors. She was agreeable for admission just now.
Now she's changing her mind.
Then the husband cannot decide.
Now the mother-in-law is also giving her five cents worth (actually quite worthless advice, if you ask me)

Oscillating. oscillating.

So here I am typing furiously away. Hyperventilating. Who wouldn't ? I don't mind if it's a real emergency. But this ?

Ok. The nurse just told me she wants admission now.

Groan.

What's so bad about staying in hospital ? No pontianaks right ?

Sigh.

Love ... patience ... Can be rather lacking at this unearthly time.

Somewhere over the rainbow ...

YOU ARE A RAINBOW!

You are an incredibly beautiful, almost
otherworldly soul who inspires others
everywhere you go. You are creative and
artistic and love beauty in all its forms. You
pride youself on your own beauty, both inner
and outer. However, you can be very distant and
aloof, not allowing anyone to get close to you.



What Symbol of GOODNESS are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Astro - An Update

Lest anyone should think that the cat (his name is Astro, by that way) has met with any mishap after his harrowing experience at the vet, I am pleased to report that he is well and hopping around - on all fours of course.

No, he doesn't seem to have become more effeminate. The scars have healed well.

He has been re-instated as the resident cat in my room and has recaptured my bed as his nightly resting place. However, his continued existence will depend on his strict adherence to toileting rules - no pee-ing on me or my bed.

So we're both happy for now.

It was worth it !

Today was my last lesson for my "Life of Christ" module ! Kinda sad to have parted with the students tonight. They were a fun bunch to be with, especially tonight when we had the bible quiz (Who wants to be a LOF maniac?).

I actually feel energized after each lesson. It's a well-fed feeling ... not a well-gorged post-prandial sleepy feeling.

Got my assignments back too ! Thank God I did pretty well. Of course there were red marks all over the place with lecturer's comments and all ... and the grammatical corrections ... and the bibliography corrections ... Also had dinner with her this evening. Met her at the hospital canteen !

Now more choices to make for next year ... how many modules to take ?

On call and bored ...

YOU ARE FIRE!

Your inner element is one of great passion and
intensity. You are a dramatic person who loves
attention and knows how to get it. You tend to
have many
friends and admirers around you wherever you go.
You have a strong intellect, tend to have
strong opinions on issues close to your heart
and don't know the meaning of tact. You are
generally an active person who loves sports and
all things competitive... and you like to win!
Any career that will bring you the attention
you crave and uses your talents of persuasion
is ideal for you. Love tends to elude you
frequently - you can more easily find passion
or good friendship than true love. When you do
finally fall in love... you fall with all your
heart. However, when it comes to the passion
end of things, you are second to none.

Your greatest strengths are your courage to express
yourself no matter what and your incredible
charisma. You weaknesses are a tendency to
narcissism and the possibility of alienating
others with your forwardness. Balancing your
strengths and weaknesses is crucial for you to
achieve balance in your life.




Which of the 5 Prime Elements are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

A Background Study into the Jewish Attitude towards the Sabbath

INTRODUCTION

The Jewish Sabbath (שַׁבָּתּ) is one of the most important tenets of Judaism, the observance and practice of which sets the devout Jew apart from not only the nominal believer, but the non-believer as well. To the Jew, it represents not only a holy day of rest, but also serves as a reminder of God’s creation, the Exodus and His covenantal relationship with His people.
In order to understand and appreciate the importance of this day to the Jew and his resultant attitude towards the Sabbath, it is useful to trace the biblical origin and development of the Jewish concept and practice of the Sabbath throughout the different historical periods of the Jewish people.
This paper seeks to answer and explore the above, culminating in Jesus’ attitude towards and teaching of the true meaning of the Sabbath. Finally it hopes to suggest how this understanding of the Jewish Sabbath affects the Christian believer.

ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH

Although modern research towards the 19th century has tried to trace the Jewish Sabbath to Babylonian, Kenite, Arabic, Ugaritic and other extra-biblical origins, there has, to date, been no consensus and agreement among scholars with regards to the above.
For the purpose of our study, we will focus on the biblical origin of the Sabbath.

The first mention of the concept of the Sabbath is found in Exodus 16:22-30, in which the people of Israel were told to keep the Sabbath (the seventh-day) as a day in which they were free from the normal gathering of manna. The people of Israel had been accustomed to a “ten-day week” from their captivity in Egypt and this was Israel’s first introduction to a seventh-day week and a preparation for the subsequent commandment in the Decalogue.
Three chapters later, the Sabbath was again mentioned, this time in the fourth of the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:8-11 reads, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (KJV)

Deuteronomy 5:15 reads, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.” (KJV)

In these two documents, the Israelites were reminded of God’s rest from His six-days of creation and His deliverance of the people of Israel from the land of Egypt. Just as God rested from his creative acts on the seventh day, the Israelites were likewise commanded to rest from their normal daily activities on that day. In contrast to their four hundred years of Egyptian captivity in which they had no rest from their labor, they were now a free people, and the Sabbath was also to be demonstration of their freedom from slavery.
The Sabbath was also a “perpetual covenant” and a “sign” between God and Israel “throughout their generations”, the seriousness of which was demonstrated by a death penalty for transgression of the commandment (Exod 31:16-17). This was evidenced in Num. 15:33-36 which recorded that a man was stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
Thus we can see from these initial accounts that the Sabbath was taken seriously by both God as well as the Israelites.


DEVELOPMENT, DECLINE AND RE-INSTATEMENT

From the first giving of the Sabbath law on Sinai to Israel’s possession of Canaan, they were commanded not to do any work on the Sabbath. To keep the Sabbath holy and unprofaned, they were not to treat it like any other day. This meant that normal activities that were regarded as work on the other six days were not to be performed from sunset Friday to sunset Sunday. This entailed the gathering of manna, plowing and harvesting (Exod. 34:12) and the kindling of fires in the homes (Exod. 35:3).
As the Israel developed from a nomadic to an agricultural and subsequently into a commercial nation, “work” as an entity became slowly re-defined such that carrying of wares and goods into the community to sell were also prohibited (Jer. 17:21-22).
The Sabbath was celebrated as a day unto the LORD in both Northern and Southern Kingdoms in the 8th century BC, in which offerings were made in the temple during this day (1 Chr. 23:31, 2 Chr. 2:4). It was also to be “a delight”, a day to be honored “by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words” (Isa. 58:13, NIV). Psalm 92 gives an idea of the activities that the Israelite engaged in during the Sabbath – giving thanks, singing praises, playing on musical instruments and singing. There were also other lawful activities during the Sabbath – marriage (Judg. 14:12-18) and dedication (1 Kgs. 8:65) feasts, changing of temple guards (2 Kgs. 11:5-9), duties of the priests and Levites (2 Kgs. 11:5-9).

Although the concept of rest and worship on this day was widely acknowledged, there was also evidence that the Sabbath was beginning to be taken lightly and profaned, as greed and avarice manifested itself.

Amos 8:5 reads, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat? – skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.” (NIV)

Isa. 1:13 reads, “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your evil assemblies.” (NIV)

The Israelites had started to forget the meaning of the Sabbath. The day of rest, worship and honoring God had degenerated to a day of trading and outward ritualism in which the corrupt and unfaithful heart profaned the day by continuing to offer sacrifices. The spirit of the Sabbath had degenerated into an outward superficial performance, in which the attitude of the heart was not commensurate with the outward excesses.
Jeremiah prophesied the kindling of “a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” if the Sabbath continued to be profaned (Jer. 17:27). This culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C.

Nehemiah, returning with the third group of exiles to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C., found that Sabbath observance continued to be lax among the people. He noted in

Neh. 13:15, “In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.” (NIV)

He recognized that the desecration of the Sabbath was one of the reasons for the calamity upon Israel and he, together with Ezra and the scribes, then began to introduce changes, systematize rules and interpretation of the Scriptures to ensure Sabbath observance. (Neh. 10:31-34). This development took place over the next few hundred years.


THE SABBATH IN THE INTER-TESTAMENTAL PERIOD

The Scriptures are relatively silent over the practice and development of the Sabbath in the intertestamental period, and we have to refer to extra-biblical and inter-testamental literature in order to catch a glimpse of the intensification of Sabbath observance during this period. There was a definite shift from the initial lax attitude of the post-exilic Jews to one of increasing adherence to the Sabbath law and its growing regulations.
The apocryphal literature documents for us the uncompromising attitude of the Jews against profaning the Sabbath during the beginning of the Maccabean uprising, where loyal Jews refused to fight even in self-defense on the Sabbath, but rather allowing themselves to be killed. This eventually led to the recognizing of defensive warfare as permissible on the Sabbath. (1st and 2nd book of Maccabees)
Other historical literature documents that Jews were so well known with regard to their refusal to carry arms or to travel on the Sabbath that they were exempt from military service by the Romans.

In the few hundred years after Nehemiah and Ezra, after the decline of the prophetic movement and the subsequent rise of the scribes and teachers of the law, Sabbath laws became more formalized, as there was “a need to interpret and apply the past revelation of God’s will to the various situations that confronted the community. The guidelines for ethics, as well as apparently outmoded regulations, were applied by prominent teachers to the ever changing situations that confronted the Jewish nation.” The rabbis were aware of the relative silence of Scriptures with regard to day to day living, and they tried to apply their interpretation of the Sabbath law to almost every Jewish activity. Slowly but surely the Sabbath by-laws grew in volume.
Various documents like the Jubilees (ca. 150 B.C.) and the Damascus Document (ca. 100 B.C.) reflected a strict and uncompromising observance of the Sabbath, especially among the Essenes and the Qumran community. Their laws were so strict that even sexual intercourse and defecation was prohibited during the Sabbath. These laws, however, also allowed the saving of life to take precedence over the Sabbath.
Rabbinic laws, which were formalized in the Halakah, were the main teachings that the Jews took great pains to follow. The rabbis tried to answer two main questions concerning the Sabbath: First, they defined what constituted an offense against the law of God. Second, they defined what released a person from the obligation to fulfill the Sabbath law.
Two rabbinic schools existed at that time, Beth Shammai that taught, “ From the first day of the week, prepare yourself for the Sabbath,” and Beth Hillel which taught, “Blessed be the Lord day by day.” Even among the rabbis existed differences in opinion as to what constituted the proper observance of the Sabbath. For one, it was an end in itself; and for another, it was the culmination and expression of an attitude. Yet one thing was certain, to fulfill the Sabbath law was to be counted as righteous.
In the Mishnah, the rabbis determined the 39 avot melakhah (lit. “fathers of work) which included sowing, ploughing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, sorting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing sheep, washing wool, beating wool, dyeing wool, spinning, weaving, making two loops, weaving two threads, separating two threads, tying, loosening, sewing two stitches, tearing, hunting a deer, slaughtering, flaying, salting, curing a skin, scraping the hide, cutting, writing two letters, erasing in order to write two letters, building, pulling down a structure, extinguishing a fire, lighting a fire, striking with a hammer, moving something.
Out of each avot melakhah would arise toledah (“derivatives”) that were to be observed as strictly as the avot melakhah. For example, a derivative of reaping would be to cut flowers or pick fruit.
In order to prevent someone from inadvertently transgressing the law, the rabbis also instituted further rulings, examples of which included gezerot, muktseh, nolah, shevut and eruv.
To give an example of how one could get around these laws, “If his teeth pain him he may not suck vinegar through them but he may take vinegar after his usual fashion, and if he is healed he is healed.” (Shabb. Xiv.4) Outwardly, there was the appearance of “righteousness” in obeying the absolute letter of the law, yet there existed ways in which the law could be circumvented. The heavy burden of the additional laws therefore necessitated “escape routes” which could excuse the otherwise transgressor of the law.
There were, however, cases in which these rules could be overridden. The expression used for such situations was אֶת־הַשַׁבָּת חִין דּוֹ – “push aside the Sabbath”. These include the duties of the priests and humanitarian acts to save life.
These were but some of the laws of the Sabbath that the Jew was expected to follow to the strictest detail if he was to be considered righteous and devout. The Jew was sincere in his desire to obey the Lord, but “as time went on, an anxious and ultimately a superstitious dread of profaning the sabbath asserted itself; the spiritual was subordinated to the formal, restrictions were multiplied, till at length those who were really important and reasonable were buried beneath a crowd of regulations of the pettiest description.”
The original concept of the Sabbath had, by now, been largely lost to the Jew. The attempts of the teachers of the law to define and re-define work over the years and centuries, albeit well-meaning in the beginning, had robbed the liberty of the first Sabbath; and replaced it with a false sense of security but a true sense of burden.


JESUS AND THE SABBATH

It was into this kind of spiritual climate that Jesus came into, one of extensive and sometimes ludicrous laws which sought to define what a Jew could and could not do on the Sabbath. Much of what was originally planned for man on the Sabbath was lost in a quest to obey the letter of the law. What was meant to liberate had become a shackle.
Jesus’ encounters with the teachers of the law over the Sabbath issues revolved around his apparent breaking of their understanding and institution of the law. He, therefore, sought to correct the misconception of the people by asking if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:12) , by challenging the rigid and uncompromising but stifling legal restrictions of the Pharisees.
He brings us back one full circle to the origin of the Sabbath, as it was meant to be, to serve mankind for rest and to bring blessing. He declared that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NIV)


CONCLUSION

What can Christians learn from the Jewish Sabbath – when we are not bound by the law to practice it ? What lessons can we draw from the experience of the Jews in the wilderness when they were first commanded to keep the Sabbath day, after their return from the Babylonian exile and heard the words of Nehemiah exhorting them to observe the holy Sabbath, and their encounters with Jesus who continued to heal and to do what was lawful in the eyes of the Lord (unlawful in the eyes of the teachers of the law) ?
Have we lost our “Sabbath Rest” in the Lord by not dedicating time for worship, for remembrance of His grace and deliverance, for renewal of our covenantal relationship with our God ? Have we replaced the genuinely needful with outward “Christian rules and regulations” ? Have we exchanged our freedom for legalism ?

Perhaps this study will also bring us back one full circle. Back to basics.

Passion - A Review

Introduction

Dramatization of the passion of Christ has been around for many centuries, and has developed from simple passion plays in the Greek theatre to the sophisticated cinematography of the last century. Religious films have always received widespread attention from both believers and non-believers alike, receiving both acclaim as well as deep criticism.
The recent movie, “Passion of the Christ”, likewise, was received with much anticipation. Directed and produced by Mel Gibson at a personal cost of US$25 million, it was released on 25th February 2004, and amassed US$125 million in the opening five days.
The movie covers the final 12 hours of Jesus Christ and begins in the Garden of Gethsemane. It traces his arrest by the Jewish authorities, his trials before Pilate and Herod, His scourging, the walk to Golgotha and finally the crucifixion. Finally there is a short scene of the resurrection.
Much has already been said and written about this movie by both adherents and critics alike.
To make a fair assessment of this film, one must examine the intent of the director and see if he, indeed, was faithful to his purpose. The genre of the film is also important in our review as a historical work is different from an artistic film. To what extent should artistic license have been allowed in the film ? To what extent should the director be allowed to interpret and add events ?

“My intention for this film was to create a lasting work of art and to stimulate serious thought and reflection among diverse audiences of all backgrounds…My ultimate hope is that this story’s message of tremendous courage and sacrifice might inspire tolerance, love and forgiveness. We’re definitely in need of those things in today’s world…When you tackle a story that is so widely known and has so many different pre-conceptions, the only thing you can do is remain as true as possible to the story and your own way of expressing it creatively… This is what I tried to do… I really wanted to express the hugeness of the sacrifice, as well as the horror of it. But I also wanted a film that has moments of real lyricism and beauty and an abiding sense of love, because it is ultimately a story of faith, hope and love. That, in my view, is the greatest story we can ever tell…One of the greatest hopes I have for this film is that when audiences walk away from it, they will be inspired to ask more questions”.
(Mel Gibson)

By the end of this paper, I hope to have explored the merits of the film as well as the boundaries that have been crossed. Finally, the question remains, “Where does the film lead us to in our own walk with God?”


A Critical Review

The Story or His-Story ?

The official website of the movie reports that the screenplay was adapted from the four gospels. There was no mention of alternative sources. However, a critical look at the film will reveal that certain scenes were either additions from non-biblical sources or an artistic license and interpretation taken by the director.
The director’s own religious background was fundamental in his interpretation and expression of the film. He belongs to the Traditionalist wing of the Roman Catholic Church, which still performed the Mass in Latin, abstains from meat on Fridays, avoids ecumenism and other things that were changed at the Vatican II Council in the 1960s.
Two important sources which he admitted to have influenced the screenplay of the film included “The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ”, written by St. Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), an Augustian nun at the Convent of Agnetenberg, Germany and “The Mystical City of God”, written by St. Mary of Agreda (1602-1665) .
Gibson also relied heavily on the Catholic “Stations of the Cross” as well as the “Five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary” in showing the sequence of events in the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life. The road to Golgotha followed the 14 “Stations of the Cross” strictly and included extra-biblical events like the wiping of Jesus’ face by St. Veronica’s cloth which resulted in his face being imprinted on it, Jesus falling three times with Mary urging him on, and the cradling of Jesus’ body by Mary after his death (also known as the Pieta).
Gibson claimed to “remain as true as possible to the story”. Perhaps he was really sincere in what he said because he regarded his extra-biblical sources as being as authoritative as the four Gospels. In fact, Pope John Paul II, after watching the movie, was said to have commented, “It is as it was.”
A closer look will reveal this movie to be the Roman Catholic version of the passion of Christ, something which Protestants should be aware of, lest we accept this film lock, stock and barrel, and laud it as some Evangelical church leaders have done. (See Annex 1) The merits of the film should be balanced against the extra-biblical and Roman Catholic slants.


Realistic portrayal or just gory extravagance ?

The impressive set designs, costumes and lighting gave the film an authentic feeling of epic proportions. The use of the original languages (Aramaic and Latin) was applaudable for its effort and, together with the brilliant cinematography, brought out the flavour of those times very well. However I question if it added anything more to the understanding of the film, other than making it intelligible to the ordinary viewer without subtitles.
The director wanted to “express the hugeness of the sacrifice, as well as the horror of it”. This he did with a heavy, and almost exclusive, emphasis on the suffering of Christ. He devoted a full ten minutes to the scourging scene which has horrified many viewers and elicited some strong reactions as to its appropriateness. Interestingly, Gibson paid a lot of attention on an event which had very little written about it in the four gospels. In fact, a survey of the gospels only mentioned that Pilate “had Jesus flogged”. (Matt 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) The flagellation of Jesus is a vital part of the “Stations of the Cross” and is one of the “Five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary”. It is with this background in mind that we can understand why this scene was so prominent in the film.
However, the question beckons. Why is it then that the gospel writers were so brief in their description of this event ? Full chapters, on the other hand, were written about Christ’s crucifixion. For them, surely, the crucifixion of Christ on the cross was the climax of his mission on earth and therefore deserved much reporting. Indeed the apostle Paul said, “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1 Cor 1:23)
Whilst the scourging scene may have been over-indulged in, the crucifixion scene, on the other hand, was well done, although the scene of Christ’s arm being dislocated for the crucifixion was borrowed from St. Mary of Agreda’s “The Mystical City of God”.
Did Gibson go overboard in his attempt to show Christ’s suffering ? Was it a true portrayal or just gory Hollywood extravagance reminiscent of Gibson’s previous movies ?
I feel he did well to realistically remind Christians just how much Christ went through for our sins. Modern day Christianity, by and large, has forgotten Christ’s sacrifice and perhaps, needs a reminder as to the immensity of our sin that has required such an immense sacrifice.


The Struggle between Good and Evil

The appearance of Satan in various scenes was used to portray the dark and evil times during those last 12 hours. From the beginning of the movie, Satan was portrayed as the tempter in the Garden of Gethsemane – questioning Jesus’ right and ability to bear the sins of the world. The scene in which Jesus stomped on the head of the serpent was an allusion to the passage in Genesis 3:15b in which it was written : “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel”. This scene is adapted from Emmerich’s “the Dolorous Passion” and never happened in the biblical record. In fact, an angel strengthened Jesus after his prayer in the garden. (Luke 22:43)
Further on, Satan was personified in the diabolical children who tormented Judas Iscariot after his betrayal and subsequently led to his suicide.
Satan was again seen during the scourging of Jesus and once again at his death.
As much as one would like to believe and acknowledge the part played by the evil one in the death of Christ, one must also acknowledge the fact that the biblical writers did not mention the role of Satan at all. In fact, the only one-on-one encounter (barring the exorcisms) between Jesus and Satan occurred during the temptation in the desert after Christ’s baptism.
The constant appearance of the devil as the “antagonist” versus Jesus the “protagonist”, I feel, has sensationalized and added a touch of Hollywood into the film. Far from providing answers, it has raised unanswerable questions about the significance of the scene of the baby in the devil’s arms, his androgynous appearance, his appearance in the Garden of Gethsemane – all of which were absent from the biblical records.
The bible is silent as to the part played by the devil in the death of Christ. What it is not silent about, however, is the part played by man. Ultimately, what or who sent Jesus to the cross ? Was it Satan ? No. Was it just the Jews ? No. All of us did. Was it a lost battle between good and evil that sent Christ to the cross? No. Jesus said, “I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. I lay it down on my own.” (John 10:17-18) It was never a losing battle. It was a quest and a journey. He was intent on the cross from the beginning. It was His choice. A necessary choice.


Mary – A mother’s love or the Mother Loved ?

The biblical records are also relatively silent about Mary, especially in relation to the passion of Christ. She is only mentioned during the crucifixion when she was presented to the care of John the disciple by Jesus.
The movie gives Mary much more exposure than is mentioned in the bible. She is present at the trial of Jesus and when he is imprisoned, she seems to have fore-knowledge as to his location.
She is also present at the scourging of Jesus and, together with Mary Magdalene, wipe his blood from the ground. This particular scene is adapted from Chapter 23 of Emmerich’s “Dolorous Passion of Jesus”.
Mary is again seen on the way to Golgotha, during which she gives strength to Jesus when he falls to the ground under the weight of the cross. This scene is taken from the Catholic “Stations of the Cross”. There are flashbacks to the early life of Christ where Mary is seen running to aid of infant Jesus when he falls. Now in his adulthood and during his passion, Mary is again seen running to the aid of Jesus. At this point, Jesus is seen drawing strength from her presence and saying, “Behold I make all things new.”
One must realize that the director’s Catholic background has clearly influenced his interpretation of Mary’s role in Christ’s sacrifice. The belief that Mary is the co-redemptrix (co-redeemer) and mediatrix is alluded to in these scenes in which she is seen as suffering alongside the Suffering Saviour. There is even one scene at the cross where she says to Jesus, “My son, let me die with you.”
Throughout the movie, Mary is also reverently called “Mother” by Jesus’ disciples, a clear Catholic slant since all Catholics address Mary as “Mother”. Her quiet strength and unfailing support for her Son spoke clearly of a mother’s love for her child. This was all the more made poignant by the scene in which Mary was seen cradling the body of Jesus after he was brought down from the cross. This is in contrast with the biblical record in John 19:38-40 which mentioned only Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus taking down Jesus’ body
It is one thing to portray and honour a mother’s love. It is another thing to exalt Mary as the Mother, the Co-Redemptrix, the Mediatrix.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

There is only one Saviour, one Redeemer, one Mediator.


In conclusion,

This movie should be commended for its attempt to portray the sacrifice of our Lord in a realistic non-sentimental manner. It serves to remind Christians, who would otherwise not have an understanding of the physical pain and suffering that our Lord went through for us. The discomfort that many have felt during the movie surely stems from the fact that we have been shielded from the reality of the cross on which our Suffering Saviour hung for six hours. It jolted me to the realization of the immensity of my Saviour’s love for me – especially as the images of him being whipped flashed across the screen again and again. Indeed, “with his stripes we are healed”. (Isa 53:5) His determination to the cross and his utter commitment to remain ON the cross until “it is finished” (John 19:30) speaks volumes of my need for a Saviour who would carry my sins for me. There was no other way.
It is also commendable that the movie did not end with the death but the resurrection of Jesus. It did not end with hopelessness but with victory and an anticipation of things to come. This, I feel, was an appropriate ending and a means for further discussion should this film be used as an evangelistic tool. The hope of the Christian lies not in the death of Christ, but His resurrection – because “if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain.” (1 Cor 15:17)

Whilst this movie can be used as a valuable evangelistic tool, one must be aware of the subtle innuendoes present in the film. The strong Roman Catholic background with its Marian focus and theology must be made known to Christians who might be tempted to embrace this film in its entirety. A call for greater discernment should be made. Ambiguous scenes, involving the devil and other characters, that are not found in the biblical records should and must not be embraced as gospel truth, just because this film shows some semblance to a religious work.



Annex 1


Some comments from respected Evangelical church leaders :


“Everytime I preach or speak about the Cross, the things I saw on the screen will be on my head and mind.” - Billy Graham

“I can’t tell you how I admire, respect and applaud you … an awe-inspiring portrayal of the last hours of Jesus’ life. It is an accurate account of Jesus’ real suffering for the sins of the whole world.” - Dr. Robert Schuller

“Brilliant, biblical – a masterpiece” – Rick Warren

“deeply moving, factually accurate and unprejudiced in its presentation” – Jack Hayford

Loss of Manhood ...

Certainly not mine ! My jewels are definitely and thankfully FULLY intact.

It's my cat ... I've been procrastinating about spaying him for months, even when he started spraying around the house, even when a female stray cat found her way to my doorstep one day - my aunt was wondering why Astro was sitting and looking intently at the door ... she has since put a big cardboard box outside the door (as if it would make a difference ...)

Anyway ... I was happily delaying the inevitable until 3 nights ago ... or rather 3 mornings ago (at the unearthly hour of 2 am), Astro decided to climb unto my bed and step all over me ... "Aww... how sweet to climb into bed..." I thought sleepily as I pur my arms around him to bring him to the other side ... "eh ... how come he's so wet ah ..." (sniff sniff) "EH ... HOW COME GOT SMELL AH?" (SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF) "ARRGH ! HOW COME MY BLANKET IS WET AH ?!?!?!"

Yes ... they say male cats spray to claim territory ... I had been claimed as his own.

Dragged myself out of bed. Changed the bedsheet. Changed the blanket. Blanket soaked through with pee. Put the blanket outside. All this after "manhandling" the cat...

Very cold. No comforter.

For the first, and I hope the last, time of my life, I slept in my sleeping bag on my bed. HOW STUPID CAN IT GET ?


Anyway ... the appointment was made for the surgery. Astro emerged very much alive and well, minus his jewels.

He is still banned from my room and bed until further notice...

I'm back !

I'm back after a long hiatus. Didn't quite have much to whine about lately ... actually I did, but just couldn't get it out in words ... just like my assignment on the Sabbath. I have NEVER worked til so late on an assignment before ... but then I did start 2 days before the deadline... Thank God for His grace.

Well ... now I'm starting on a movie review on the "Passion of the Christ" - supposed to be 4 pages long ... Can't really bring myself to watch it yet another time. It's due in 2 days' time. Been waiting for inspiration to write. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It ain't coming. So I guess I have to start. :)

Oh well ... here goes ...