BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age The Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson - Symbolically Speaking

I've just posted a fascinating dialogue by Revs. Michael and Alesia Matson about Mel Gibson's new movie The Passion of Christ. It can be found here: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art17819.asp

What are your thoughts on the ideas brought up by the Matsons?

I've often pondered about suffering, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. (Can you tell I have tons of Scorpio in my chart?!) I've also wondered where suffering fits in with the New Age. Many New Agers seem heavy on the resurrection (think Marianne Williamson), but not on the crucifixion.

Will humanity get to the place where they can learn without suffering? What is the purpose of suffering from a New Age perspective? Is suffering beneficial? Can there be a resurrection without a crucifixion?

Personally, I've always loved the verse in the Bible by the Apostle Paul that says I die daily. It reminds me to "die" to the flesh/ego and awaken to my true Divine nature.

Any thoughts? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Great article! I love how they explained the symbolism of the cross - the center is where heaven & earth meet, in our hearts. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> That's a really nice way to say it.

<<Will humanity get to the place where they can learn without suffering?>>

I don't know. I think it's a choice we each have to make. Every time something painful happens to us, we can choose the perspective we want to take, whether it's one of suffering or transcendence.

<<What is the purpose of suffering from a New Age perspective?>>

I think it can teach us to transcend our illusions and find peace inside ourselves. Also it can teach compassion. We can use our own experiences of suffering to relate to other people from the heart and be empathetic and understanding.

<<Is suffering beneficial? Can there be a resurrection without a crucifixion?>>

I think suffering and death are just part of life, as is rebirth. It's just a big circle. We can use suffering to our benefit if we choose to. Or not. It's up to us to decide what we want to do with it.

On a symbolic level I think the crucifixion represents the sacrifices we make to get to a higher level of consciousness and understanding. If we want to be more compassionate and forgiving(which the main thing Christ taught IMHO) then we have to sacrifice the illusion that we are all different and seperate, and realize that at the core we're all human and have the same needs, desires, fears. We have to sacrifice our hatred and our fears about other people and be willing to live with a more open heart. We have to let things die in ourselves.

I really believe that we can choose how brutal and difficult and painful this sacrifice will be for ourselves. We all get hit with this challenge over and over. We can embrace it and let those things go with grace and dignity, which is what I think Christ did and taught by his example. Or we can resist and make ourselves suffer more than we really need to. To me the crucifixion is such a powerful symbol of letting go.

I had a really good experience with this with my divorce. My husband had had an emotional affair with someone who'd been my friend and I was really suffering with that. Neither one of them would acknowledge what they'd done or how much pain it was causing me. Neither one of them was willing to be honest, get it out in the open, and resolve things. They wanted to pretend like nothing happened and I couldn't do that, I felt like the only way past it was through all the [censored], you know?

So when we split up everyone expected me to move back to my hometown and live with my parents, find a new job, etc. To crawl into a hole and be bitter and filled with hate, and lash out at him by taking our daughter away from him. I really wanted to do that. I fantasized about doing that all the time. But I choose not to because it felt like a cowardly thing to do and because I really felt my daughter needed the chance to have him in her life if he'd do that. Also I'd just read this book called Revenge, by Laura Blumenfeld, which is an incredible story of hope. It really affected me and changed the way I looked at people.

I stayed here and faced him every week when it was his turn to have Morgan at his house. I faced everything, including the fact that I was never going to get an acknowldgement from either of them about what had happened. I faced Harmony (the woman) and told her I didn't want to be friends with her anymore, and I faced her every time her daughter went to dance class or recitals, since Morgan was in the same class. I hated it. I wanted to run away every time I saw them, but I kept showing up, and I prayed for grace and dignity and compassion. I'm really stubborn too. That helped! I wanted them to see that nothing they did could defeat me.

I knew I had to forgive and let it all go if I wanted to move on with my life and it took some time, it's been two years, but it's done now. I saw Harmony in the store last month and she looked awful like I'd never seen her look before, and she wouldn't look me in the eye. I smiled at her and started to say hi and she took off down another aisle. I don't know what was going on with her. The compassion I felt for her in that moment really surprised me. That was when I knew I was finished with what I needed to do, and it was finally over.

There was so much power for me in standing and facing everything, and in choosing to let go what needed to die rather than trying desperately to hang on. I think that's what the lesson the crucifixion and resurrection have for us.

I'm so excited for spring this year, I feel like there is so much room in my life now for new things. :rolling: I feel like I'm a whole new person.

:love: Heather

What an incredibly moving and profound post, Heather. Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience and insights with us. What a gift you are! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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Hi, Ladies!

Oh, Heather. What a powerful story. Thank you so much for sharing it! It shows me (again) that the true reason for forgiving one who hurts me is really so that I PERSONALLY can heal...that it's as much about me as about them. Awesome <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I haven't seen the movie yet, but hope to go soon. The article was interesting. I'm not sure I consider myself a 'new ager'...to be honest, I'm not sure what that means! LOL And while I do hold to some of the ideas of new agism, others I flatly reject. Hum, sort of like the ideas of another organized 'religion' I know of! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I can't really find a 'label' that fits my beliefs....some of this, some of that.

On the idea of suffering as a means of learning...It seems to me that as long as humans have free wills, some of the decisions we make are bound to be painful. For a fact I know that many of the more significant 'life lessons' I've personally learned came on the heels of some really stupid decisions I made. So, I think there is that aspect of our suffering that we need to take ownership of, and not play into any victim energy.

I never did hold to the belief that God gives us diseases or kills our kids or some such horror as a way to "teach" us something. That's just B.S. in my opinion, and totally contrary to the nature of Divine Love. It is, however, a way that man tries to justify things, and there certainly are lessons that we can learn from such painful experiences. But we also live in a world that is fraught with certain danger, and sometimes, bad things happen to good people. I wholeheartedly believe that God can use ANY situation, ANY problem, ANY crises that we'll offer up as a way to bring healing and redemption in our lives, if we'll allow Him the opportunity. I also believe that the Spirit heals and restores, and that a Kingdom divided against itself can't stand.

Personally, although I agree with some of the thinking of those that follow the doctrine of A Course In Miracles (like Marianne Williamson), I couldn't imagine a Resurrection WITHOUT a crucifixtion! I mean, HELLO? What would He be resurrecting from then, if not a hideous death? It leaves out the entire message of reconciliation, IMHO. Those of us who believe in Christ literally (as well as appreciate the work that He did from a symbolic standpoint) understand that something HUGE transpired on that cross. That Innocence Personified loved so much, and so completely, as to offer up Himself in my stead, doing for me what I am unable to do for myself. But then, I also believe that there is such as thing as "sin", or "missing the mark". I believe that there is right and wrong. That's not a very popular idea in today's relative world. But I know what I've done, and where I've been. I also know that when I looked to that Crucified Godman, and accepted His gift to me of a new life - a new way to exist - my life dramatically changed. This is because I believe that, as the hymn says, there is power in the Blood. That, IMHO, is exactly why the Cross isn't spoken of...it's where the Blood flowed. The Man of the Cross left me an example of Love pure and so holy. He reminds me that true love is not selfseeking, but other minded. He reminds me that true forgiveness of my 'enemies' is my path of peace. He reminds me that faith and love together, can do miracles.

Can't wait to see the movie!!!!
Namaste, Ladies,
Janey

Great points, Janey!

I had the opportunity to see the movie on Sunday with my parents, but I passed. I wasn't in the mood for brutality. My Mom said it was very, very violent. I thought she'd be raving about it since she's into Jesus, but she didn't seem as enthused after the movie as she was before.

"New Ager" is just a catch-all phrase, really. I've written 2 articles giving a brief overview of what New Age means: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5593.asp

Me, I'm more into practical spirituality, syncretic beliefs, and consciousness which is usually the common thread amongst "New Agers". Some who identify with the New Age are major flaky. That's fine for them, but I admit to being a tad more nuts and bolts and nitty gritty than some New Agers. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For example, Marianne Williamson is now a Unity minister but she'd probably be considered a "New Ager" for several reasons. For one, she teaches from A Course in Miracles which is channeled material. Plus, at her church, you'll find lectures on Tarot, divination, and so on in addition to Unity flavored teachings. Of all groups that exist, I probably identify most with Unity, especially as Christ is their foundation. However, unlike Christian tradition, much of the Bible is taken symbolically and melded with other belief systems.

Well, I went off on a tangent there! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The people I've talked to who've seen it have commented on the violence, but they all liked it too, said it was powerful. I'm not in the mood for it right now but I'll probably rent it when it's out on video.