What's the Point of Focusing on Anti-Semitism?

In June, Mel Gibson visited our church to speak to a group of pastors and to preview his new film, "The Passion," for local religious leaders. He told us about a dramatic personal experience he had years ago that led to a deep appreciation for what Jesus Christ had done on the Cross, which developed into a desire to create a movie about Jesus' crucifixion.

After seeing the movie, I felt I had witnessed an authentic portrayal of the final hours of Christ's life. I can honestly say, without hyperbole, that "The Passion" ranks with the most moving artistic experiences I have ever had. It is a brilliant film--a compelling vision of Jesus' ministry, a challenging depiction of the violence of Roman crucifixion, and most important, a heart-rending portrayal of sacrificial love.

Following the screening, I was immediately bombarded with questions about anti-Semitism. I was caught off guard, because while I knew fears had been expressed by some, I had not noticed anything of concern regarding the portrayal of Jews in the film--certainly nothing unusual about the role of the Jewish leadership in Jesus' death. It was consistent with the biblical accounts and in keeping with other Jesus movies and the hundreds of thousands of Passion Plays that are produced worldwide every Easter season.

I don't know that we should be focusing so much attention on Jewish-Christian relations as they relate to the fallout of one movie. With today's global tensions, it is more important than ever for Jewish and Christian leadership to stand together for democracy, freedom of religion, civil liberties, equal rights, protection of oppressed peoples, and other important issues. Jewish and Christian leaders have global responsibilities that should cause us to minimize, rather than maximize, the importance of a movie.

But those with concerns have not seemed to want to talk about the Gospels, history, other movies with the same subject, or the fact that evangelicals such as myself are very sensitive to a misrepresentation of the Bible or of Christ himself--and are strong defenders of Israel and consistent apologists for Jewish causes. Instead, they are unrelenting in their accusations that "The Passion" will create anti-Semitism.

I feel that those accusations are off-base for several reasons. First, Campus Crusade for Christ's Jesus movie has been seen by 5.6 million people worldwide, according to Campus Crusade's records. It has been translated into 800 different languages and screened in 236 countries. Some say it is the most widely distributed and viewed movie in history.

Campus Crusade says there has never been one--not one--report of anti-Semitism in connection with the film. In fact, the opposite is true. In the portions of the world where the movie is screened with success, there is a rise in concern for Israel. Thus, the largest example of a dramatic Passion portrayal in our generation indicates that the current criticism is unwarranted.

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