I noticed via various news articles and from local church announcements in the area. Churches are buying entire showings of the film ‘The Passion’ to where their congregations can see the film. Even in my bulletin, my church bought two entire showings and have a way to procure a third showing if demand is high enough. If this film is supposed to be the most evangelical film and most truthful film about Jesus and our churches are buying up entire movie showings, then how will the unsaved get to see the film? What if this trend is nationwide? Would a seeker who is interested just get frustrated over time by not being able to see the movie when it is convienent to his or her schedule and say ‘just forget it, I will rent it on DVD at Blockbuster?’ And as months go by, lose interest in renting the movie on DVD?

Also, as a sinner, who would want to go see a movie with a bunch of churchfolk who has their ‘official christian perspective’ of this movie already dictated from the pulpit, MovieGuide, or Focus on The Family to the point of not even questioning or reviewing the contents of the movie? If Christians act in a movie theater like many do in restraunts, who would want to be around them? If we Christians want to make an impact, we should also show our love by being courteous and decent movie watchers and not shout ‘hallelujah, amen, or speak in tongues’ after every scene, be careful in our behavior, set our cell phones and pagers to vibrate mode, not spill drinks and popcorn all over the floor, etc. Maybe we should clean up our own trash of popcorn boxes, candy wrappers, and drink cups and show that we are hearers and doers of the Word. Also, we should also not monopolize the theater by buying entire theater seats. We should let some seekers have an opportuity to see the movie on opening weekend and the week after. Also, we should not permeate the theater with the Christianese of “T-shirt Theology” via our Christian T-Shirts, Promise Keepers Golf Shirts, WWJD bracelets, GodChasers tie, Prayer of Jabez jewerly collection, etc.

The movie will have an emotional impact on seekers and viewers, but the real measuring stick will be our actions, words, deeds, and behavior for the two to three hours that we spend inside the theater. This entails everything from the way we drive in, around, and out of the theater parking lot, the way we treat the theater employees, the way we are courteous to other movie viewers, the way we do not let our six ADHD kids cry throughout the movie because they get bored due to lack of animation, etc. Also, the real measuring stick extends after the movie in everyday life especially if the Christians go to the Waffle House or Perkins afterwards and the same seekers happen to go there also. Will we treat the waitresses disrespectfully, leave no tip, make a mess of the table, and nit-pick everything from the cost of the meal to the excess moisture on the drinking glass?

Our t-shirts, politics, arrogance, “Christian Disneyland” of the 1980’s (aka Heritage USA / PTL / Jim Bakker), and other ‘Jesus Junk’ never saved any sinner yet and it never will. Before, during, and after the movie, let the world know that the Jesus who died and rose again three days later as documented in the Bible and this movie is still the Jesus who is risen and is still alive with the Holy Spirit living inside of us.