On the first Friday after Ash Wednesday a few friends and I went to see the movie The Passion of the Christ and, I tell you, I was deeply moved by it. It was a chilling, blood-soaked picture of what our Lord Jesus went through in His last 12 hours on earth. In all of the brutality, I found myself constantly thinking, “This is what He did for me.” By the time it was over, I was filled with awe, silent, introspective, and amazed that my Lord would endure such pain—and that was only a shadow of what He really endured! I was almost angered when my friends broke the silence and began discussing the film, chasing away the feeling of gratefulness that pervaded my heart. What I would have really wanted was a time of quiet introspection and worship following the film.

This feeling was quickly thrown off at first, but it has intruded several times in the past few days, as I’ve thought back on the movie and what it endeavors to portray. My heart swells each time, thinking especially of the scene when Jesus falls under the weight of the cross and his mother runs to him, pushing her way through the guards. Jesus looks at her, recognizes her, and softly says, “Behold, I am making everything new, mother.” The fact that He knew what He was doing what His ultimate goal was still strikes me deeply and the only thing that I can do is worship in stillness and peace.

For those who have not seen the film, it is definitely one that is worth watching, if just to ponder what He has done for us, His wayward creatures.