The Passion of The Christ is an extremely powerful presentation of the suffering and death of Jesus for the sins of the world. But the average non-believer, especially in our secularized society, will need to be informed of "the rest of the story" in order to understand the significance of what they just saw.

At the appropriate time, we need to be ready to answer their questions. We can do that personally, in a group discussion, through literature, or by pointing them to on-line information such as www.thelife.com .

What kind of questions will people have?

That's a good question! They could be endless. In fact, there are questions we can ask, as well as questions others may ask us. Here are some possibilities:

• Why were the religious leaders so hostile towards Jesus? Is it possible their anger was justified?
  
• What did Jesus say and do in the years before these last 12 hours?
  
• Did Jesus really claim to be the Son of God? Was He the Son of God?
  
• If He was the Son of God, why did He have to die as He did?
  
• What does that all mean for me in the 21st century?
  
• The last scene pictures Jesus alive. Is that true? What's that all about?
  

As for questions we can ask, how about the following:

• What did you think about the movie?
  
• What were you feeling as you watched?
  
• Did you understand what was going on?
  
• Do you understand who Jesus is?
  
• What is your response to this movie?
  
• Do you want to find out more about what is portrayed in this movie?
  

We need to prepare ourselves

By telling only part of the whole story, Mel Gibson presents each one of us with an unparalleled opportunity to fill in the blanks. During the crucifixion scene Jesus says "It is accomplished." We need to be ready to explain what was accomplished, why Jesus died and why His death makes all the difference in the world.

Here are a few things individuals can do.

1] Purchase and study the content of the booklets The Passion of the Christ: True or False? and Experience The Passion of the Christ.

2] Visit www.thelife.com and read up on the movie and potential questions and answers. [Look for more on the website in our next newsletter.]

3] Discuss with others in your church how to best respond to those around you.

4] Attend a training session to equip you for post-Passion conversations and review the training material on www.sharethelife.com

5] Reread the Passion narratives in the Bible to be familiar with the text.

6] Pray and pray some more.

7] Add a banner ad or button to your personal or business website promoting www.thelife.com

Here are a few things churches can do.

1] Prepare sermon material before and after the release of The Passion of the Christ dealing with the significance and necessity of the cross.

2] Plan for post-Passion discussion groups

3] Purchase evangelism booklets to equip members for post-Passion encounters with unchurched friends.

4] Encourage members to seek training.

5] Encourage members to gather together to pray and pray some more.

6] Add a banner ad or button to your church website promoting www.thelife.com

Passion Themed Materials

There are many advantages to using the two evangelism booklets that have been prepared.

• They are attractive and contain images from the movie.
  
• They deal with many of the questions people will have after viewing the film.
  
• They allow the person who is not ready to talk to read the material on their own.
  
• They provide a logical opportunity for a follow-up appointment and discussion of the content.
  
• They lead to a simple prayer of commitment.
  
• They will be perceived as fresh and relevant as opposed to old or canned material.
  
• Given under the leading of the Holy Spirit they convey love and care for the other person.
  

A Final Word

Having seen the film a dozen times, and having seen the reactions of people to those showings, I am anticipating some awfully quiet theatres during the closing credits. Following this reflective time, some people will want to talk and others will want to think by themselves.

We want to be sensitive to people's needs and feelings. We must be listeners first. Especially in this post-modern generation we need to give people an opportunity to express how they feel. As one wise person told me "people do not care what you know, until they know that you care."

Don Kinnie of Alpha Canada, one of our partners in this venture, told me that one of their leaders says Alpha is evangelism for cowards. It's so simple, non threatening, and someone else does the work of evangelizing.

In many ways I see this Passion Initiative in a similar way. Mel Gibson and his people have created a tool. We have prepared some attractive material to answer people's questions. Now we just need to be faithful to utilize this God given opportunity. May God bless us with that unique combination of boldness and sensitivity.

Breaking News

>>Mel Gibson has a major interview coming up with Diane Sawyer Monday night on ABC's Primetime. I was told he would only be doing 2 or maybe 3 of these types of programs before the release of the film, so you may want to set your VCR or watch it live.

>>There is an interesting poll being taken at http://www.newsmax.com/gibsonpoll . I encourage you to go there and vote your support for the film. It may help drive more people to the theatre.

>>Speaking of theatres, I noticed changes to the theatre listing on our website. Information is now listed clearly by province and city/town.