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Saw it Wed. night with David. It left us speechless. Here's what I wrote on it.

It was the most beautiful, excellent and yet terrible, movie I've ever seen. David watched with me, and made an observation that; though the images of the scourging, Satan and the minions, were horrible, the ugliest most hideous parts of the movie were the men who laughed and enjoyed the torturing of Him. I was determined to not hide my eyes during the scourging, but anticipated the relief that was to come at the resurrection, certain it would be gloriously done.

I didn't get that, and am left with a dreadful sorrow for all of us, and a question of 'why'? Why do we deserve Him to suffer so for us? To have such a clear and real picture of the suffering, without an equal image of 'why' I'm left without a sense of balance I had just yester morning.

I felt obliged to remind my son before he went to sleep that he is good, and that God loves him. That though there is evil in men, people are basically good. I hope no parents take children any younger to see the movie.

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26)."

Without what went on before and after, without this for the healing, the movie's message was incomplete, and left wounds bleeding on the ground. For some people, it might be an awakening to something they didn't have before. Some will be inspired to mercy and forgiveness, who weren't so inclined before. I don't know.

In my life, I am mother first. Everything comes naturally through that view. You tell a child repeatedly how he is bad, and he will deliver, with mean behavior. This is such a powerful movie, I wish there was something as powerful in the ending of it to bring a balance. Maybe it was because I was sitting next to my son, but I wanted more of why this all had to happen. That He so loves us He gave His only begotten Son to suffer so much. We are His precious children all of us, not the blight of Creation. I don't want people coming out of the movie with that feeling.

Definitely go see it, I agree. It is an incredible piece of cinema. Nothing like it ever has been done. But, seeing it once is likely enough for me.

Not criticizing Gibson. It is an amazing work of cinema. I knew all the parts to the story, all the names of the characters and what parts they played in the crucifixion, and all the stations of the cross. But I have never known and seen the story as I do now. The work is a relic, an artifact of the day. It is the monolith, turned on side and showing us what it is.

It is as it was.

Hubby and I will try to see it this weekend. I know he's really looking forward to it- not in a giddy sense, but as a pilgrimage of sorts. I'm reluctant to go knowing I don't have the emotional reserves right now to really appreciate it. Even your review has me in tears- but I thank you for it.

Beautifully written MBY....