For those who need to chat.
I spent this afternoon watching The Passion of the Christ - to the end this time. I'm very squeamish and can't handle watching anyone get tortured, so the first time around was watched in bits, but only to the start of the climb up to Golgotha. Last year, I managed to watch it all at once, but only to both hands being nailed. By the time it got to the feet, I couldn't bear it any more. This time, I just didn't look at that bit, and got through it.
For me, that movie is a real journey with Christ. Every time I learn a lot through watching it as well. For instance, today I was struck very strongly by the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus saying to love those who hate you. It is only ever possible to do that freely, not out of obligation. Because if it's out of obligation, then there is no love. So it requires a step beyond wanting to do what is right to do good, to wanting to love for love's sake. To do the latter is the transformation that God wants for us. It's what Our Lord did on the Cross on Good Friday nearly 2000 years ago.
I spent this afternoon watching The Passion of the Christ - to the end this time. I'm very squeamish and can't handle watching anyone get tortured, so the first time around was watched in bits, but only to the start of the climb up to Golgotha. Last year, I managed to watch it all at once, but only to both hands being nailed. By the time it got to the feet, I couldn't bear it any more. This time, I just didn't look at that bit, and got through it.
For me, that movie is a real journey with Christ. Every time I learn a lot through watching it as well. For instance, today I was struck very strongly by the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus saying to love those who hate you. It is only ever possible to do that freely, not out of obligation. Because if it's out of obligation, then there is no love. So it requires a step beyond wanting to do what is right to do good, to wanting to love for love's sake. To do the latter is the transformation that God wants for us. It's what Our Lord did on the Cross on Good Friday nearly 2000 years ago.
I have it on blu ray as well, and don't think I've watched it right through either. Might try again tonight. There's certainly nothing - nothing - on TV to do with Easter at all over these three days; no Jesus of Nazareth, not even Charlton Heston as Moses, or a movie like The Robe, or Ben Hur, or anything.
ReplyDeleteTV One are playing Forrest Gump again (do we really need to see it again?). It's a total dearth of anything Easter. It's like the media think they can banish religion by not showing anything to do with it.
Hi Fletch,
ReplyDeleteI actually also prayed for the strength to be able to watch it. By the time it gets to the Crucifixion, there's not really that much more and the worst part is the nailing and then the crow attacking the bad thief (which I didn't watch either). Having some red wine on hand helps as well! I wish I'd thought of it earlier.
Yeah, TV is pointless. TV3 has really annoyed me by taking off House and The Good Wife on Sunday nights because they are competing against Master Chef. Now I don't watch any TV.
I'm waiting for the new season of Dr Who :)
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch a lot of TV now either. I never really got into House - I still think of Hugh Laurie as British (brilliant as the Prince on Blackadder, and as Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster).
Happy Easter everyone !
ReplyDeletePlenty of Carry On films on the Freeview channels in Britain today.
Haven't noticed anything religious yet.
But it's only 10am here.
Dr Who has just started a new series.
I guess it will be the usual soap marathon tonight.
Emmerdale at 7pm, Corrie 7.30, Eastenders at 8pm, then more Corrie at 8.30pm.
I like Corrie but it's enough to drive you to drink.
Well, for me,today was what I call a Good Friday
ReplyDeleteNo work.
Stacked 3cM firewood.
Chopped and stacked kindling.
Cooked my SH a great brunch of bacon, egg , sausages, baked beans, toast and tea.
Mowed the lawns.
Gave the rabbit (easter Bunny?) fresh bedding.
Sat down to a great dinner of lamb shanks, roast veggies and Stump Jump GSM.
Watched George Gently.
And in between times found time to wind up Lucia Maria and Brendan Malone.
Does life get any better than this?
Have to confess I'm a Dr Who fan as well, even though it used to really scare me when I was a child. It's still creepy now, but I can handle it better!
ReplyDeleteHi FFM,
Corrie, that must be Coronation St? Like Fletch with Hugh Lorrie, I see that guy who used to be in Red Dwarf and I think he's in the wrong place. That's in the one or two times I've seen the end of Coronation St, accidentally of course!
LRO,
I'm not in the least bit wound up. :)
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteJust back from Lamentations - wish you had been there LRO, you just might have got what it's all about, you never know.
Yes Lucia Maria, Corrie is Coronation Street.
ReplyDeleteI picked that nickname up from TVNZ.
Ah yes, the guy from Red Dwarf. He did look out of place at first but has settled in.
There is talk that Michelle Collins , who used to be Cindy Beal in Eastenders , will become landlady of the Rovers now that Liz McDonald has left. Now, she will be awful.
I won't say what Jim Mcdonald did this week, but it was very exciting.
I see TVNZ still has much catching up to do.
I think we call it "Coro" over here, more so than "Corrie", but perhaps it depends on what part of the country you're from :)
ReplyDeleteThis one is great too, I watched it last night instead of The Passion:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVc2g5DCBaE
Hi Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI had a look at the first clip. Lovely animation. Mary looks a bit too despondent, though.
We owned the DVD from shortly after it came out on DVD - and couldn't bring ourselves to watch it till last year - and then, as you say, in bits, with long pauses for recovery. And there were bits I just couldn't keep my eyes on. Scenes from the movie now come back to me whenever I pray the Sorrowful Mysteries.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteI had a look at the first clip. Lovely animation. Mary looks a bit too despondent, though.
That's one of the things I like about it, it attempts to give insights into humanity and how our humanity means that unless Jesus was exactly who he said he was there was no way there would have been an early Church...
After watching this movie I also think of Jesus smiling and laughing a lot now which I didn't before...