After viewing the movie “The Passion”, I found myself wondering if my sins were dramatized in front of me, as much as the beating of the body of Christ in the movie “The Passion”. Would I want to see this film?
If instead of every blow, to the body of this man, I were to see my follies of flesh, stealing, depriving the poor, would I yearn to see any further than the first few seconds? After watching this movie that left no one without tears, to my dismay, came the contrary of the meaning of the ‘Passion of Christ’. A young man rose and asked: “Have you made provisions for the poor who cannot see this film, to see it?” The response was: “Icon Films is in the business of movies to make money, if you understand.” Then, those who presented the movie to the privileged audience that we were, warned us against reporters that made downplay the movie because of the brutality inflicted on Christ and that in such, the media would downplay the value of the movie. Try, with me, to understand a few words that come next: Were the Jewish people of back then, not more honest in their denial of Christ, in order to justify the way the world was? Where we claim to be followers of He and deny the fulfillment of the life we are supposed to live, with deep love and devotion to our fellow man? If we look at the state of this country, with the debauchery, corruption in every direction, should man have to pay taxes? As the famous question that was asked Christ: “Are you telling us that man shouldn’t pay taxes?” His reply was: “Give me a coin from your purse, and tell me who’s face is on the coin. Therefore, give to Cesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” What is the difference between what belongs to God and what belongs to Caesar? If I were asked the same question today, I wish to give you my answer: that man should not have to pay taxes. Some of you will jump to hear this but this is the reason why:
The government gives to Churches and organizations, that have the purpose of helping the needy, an exemption from taxes. Is it not because the government believes in their mission? Then, why doesn’t the government do the same thing, as these missions? What are the assets of a nation? It’s treasury in gold or its people? And if you answer the people, why is our dollar fluctuating because of gold? So, I say NO to TAXES and YES to ALMS. That is the difference between the State and the Church. The state has lots to learn from the Church, since it approves to exempt them from paying taxes because of their good deeds.
We celebrate people that are volunteers in hospitals, in times of flood, as great people. Imagine if we were all volunteers to each other, how the false god of money could disappear. It would become almsgiving in lieu of taxpaying. What is the difference between almsgiving and paying taxes? Almsgiving takes place when you are moved by the reality of the institution to whom you give alms to, for the good work they do. Can we not learn from almsgiving? If our government, would have for priority, the feeding of all people, before weapons and prisons, our priorities would change and the gold would be replaced by the most valuable asset of a nation: its people. I am not against giving to an institution that will render justice to my giving alms, but when you know that almsgiving would be better suited through other means, I will give alms in lieu of taxes.
The purpose of this letter is again, the movie “The Passion”. With all the tears that have been shed to the atrocities of this beating, how many lives have been truly changed, not so in the heart, as into actions and deeds. From the producers that have recovered the cost of their investment, to the ones that are portrayed as the cruel people, to have inflicted such a physical punishment to a man who has so loved us. In this man’s words: "As I have loved you, love one another.” Allow us to ask you a question, if you could answer, though you could, but may refuse, and why? Because of shame to answer, and yet, it will change not your way of thinking. If the movie “The Passion” has moved you to tears in wanting to change, should it not be easier to opt out of sin? Where has the nation changed; in places such as pornography, encouraging sexuality, whether you have love or not, as a normal thing. If it were so normal, look at the condition of this nation, beginning by your own heart that reads. Are you truly happy and secure in your love for each other, beginning by your own self? How can you make someone happy if you know not how to be yourself? If we gave you a vision, those of you who will have seen the movie, that instead of the scars of the whip upon his body, you saw your every sin, if only to neglect to feed the poor, where the funding of the nation is used for arenas and pleasures of sports to the determent of the poor. If you understood truly the message of the Passion of Christ, what rich producer or otherwise has been so moved as to give what is left of his own portion to the poor…where are they? Canada and the world can no longer separate yourself from the grace of almsgiving that comes through the teachings of Christ. If you truly understand the Passion of Christ, let us begin to motivate people of the nation to almsgiving for the nation, because of the new priority of our government to make the poor as the top priority and safety of all people, as such. If a woman is on welfare or social assistance, as you like to disguise it, if she receives a gift of $500 for Christmas, she must pay it back to the nation. Does the criminal in prison have to payback the $50,000 a year that he costs the nation? Why would his wife have to payback for he is no longer there to provide? You will give shelter to prisoners, but not to the poor. Perhaps I should be a thief, in order to be worth $50,000 that I could never earn otherwise, because I am poor. I am not against the prisoners, but if you find $50,000 a year to invest in the security of this nation, invest half of this into standing them on their feet, and you will have security of a nation and less families broken down because of investment, in the mismanagement of the alms of the people. It is not a reproach, for we are all in this. Is the message of Christ not to love one another? As he loved us? And if you insist on the crucifixion, knowing that it is about your sins, instead of the scars, why don’t you look at all the wrongs of your life, to be polite. Be it in the flesh, stealing, misuse of funds, false love, the deterioration the family, for it is all abut flesh, supported by government that encourages pornography, drugs and alcohol, and yet, look for solutions for the problems they have caused and created. If you look at the statistics, the balance sheet of the nation of Canada, you will understand why I say NO TO TAXES and YES to ALMS. If you would run the nation as a charitable organization, where the food for every mouth, security of homes and warmth is priority, I will work three jobs to give alms. But until you do, I will feed the poor and not pay taxes. By this, I also look at myself, for at 61 years old; it took all those years for me to come to realize this. What has the movie “The Passion” done for me? It has in a way, moved my heart, but towards the beating of this man and perhaps hatred for those who would have done it. But when I found the actions of my life as the death sentence over him, I look at you that reads and together, we are the wounds upon his body that were the consequence of our debt that we must pay for our sins. If you read this with an open heart, to the Jewish people, I say, thank you for your honesty, for you were open in your disbelief because priority was your way of living. But most of us who say to believe in Christ, our priorities are the same as yours were then, but in the disguise of believing in him and not changing our lives. Are we not all the same? Did he not come as a Jew? I thank the Jewish people, and I am with them in their hurting over this, because my sins are in a way a disguise of the suffering of the people who seem to bear all the sufferings of Christ with him in their being exposed as to be those who crucified him, when truly, perhaps one of the nail is mine, and the spear another, and every scar, all of us, smeared by the actions of our lives.
What do we do now? Do we weep bitterly, ignoring the hungry? The ones who are abused, neglected? And if we look at the structures of all churches today, how much space does Christ take in a Church? The smallest portion: where the bread of life is kept alive. The rest of the temple is for those who believe in him. How many queens have invited you to their palaces? How many subjects have you invited to the spaces in your house? How much of the food that you freeze could feed those who have no food? Have you ever been moved to these causes, since you saw the movie? If not, “The Passion” was about the physical beating of a man, and that’s it. If it has not changed your way of life, its purpose, as they say, was never achieved. Therefore, it’s a failure.
God bless you.
We may be reached at Mission of the Shroud or through our website (www.missionoftheshroud.com) with all the information. If you want to know how to respond in a living action to the Passion of Christ, we have all the information you need, easy to follow, if you mean changing, but impossible if your heart is of stone. If you want to find out the condition of your heart, give us a call or visit us at Mission of the Shroud at 107 Marion Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, telephone (204) 233-6087 or fax us at (204) 233-6217.
Look for our next article coming soon.
