Churches up for ‘Passion’

Deirdre Newman

Three local churches are gobbling up tickets for Mel Gibson’s

soon-to-be-released movie “The Passion of the Christ.”

The movie, set to open Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday, portrays the last

12 hours of Jesus’ life in graphic fashion. At least two churches

have already bought and then sold to congregants almost 4,000 tickets

for the first weekend the film is playing.

The pastors of the Crossing and the Newport Mesa Christian Center

said that renting out screening rooms would allow parishioners to

have a collective viewing experience and could attract new members to

the faith.

“We’re encouraging people to use this as an evangelical tool --

just meaning [inviting] people who are wondering about God and how he

can help change their lives,” said Matt Akey, pastor at Newport Mesa

Christian Center.

Newport Mesa Christian Center is teaming up with Rock Harbor

Church for the screenings. The Christian Center bought out one Feb.

27 evening screening at a Costa Mesa movie theaters and another one

in Irvine. Rock Harbor has bought out screenings in Newport Beach and

Irvine, Akey said.

Akey has not seen the film yet. The Christian Center focuses on

the arts through outlets such as classes in art and dance and

painting; seeing the film is an extension of supporting the arts,

Akey said.

“It’s a time for us to just go out and enjoy art for faith’s sake

and then reflect on that later in the night,” Akey said.

After the screenings, movie viewers from both churches will gather

at the Christian Center to discuss the movie through means such as

journaling and artistic expression, Akey added.

The Crossing has rented out four screening rooms the mornings of

Feb. 28 and 29, pastor Tim Celek said.

Celek, who has seen the film, described it as “realistic” and “an

experience.”

The weekend after the screenings, the Crossing will start a series

of talks that addresses the most frequently asked questions that come

from seeing the movie, Celek added.

While the movie has attracted a torrent of advance publicity, it

has also gotten criticism among some Jewish officials for having the

potential to spawn anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Mark Miller of Temple Bat Yahm said although he has not seen

the film, he is concerned by what he has read about it.

“It seems to have a strongly anti-Jewish perspective, and while we

know that it is based on the New Testament, in which Judaism is often

condemned, still, there are multiple ways to view and interpret the

New Testament writings,” Miller said. “We can approach the texts

surgically with a scalpel, or we can use them, as apparently this

movie does, as a bludgeon, with which to propagate very ancient, very

widespread and very persistent negative images and horrific

stereotypes of Jewish people.”

Akey disagreed that the movie was not flattering to Jews.

“We don’t believe the story of Jesus is told as any sort of

anti-Semitic device,” Akey said. “It’s just that people, because they

are sinful in general, it doesn’t matter what culture they are, is

why Jesus ended up on the cross and why he came to save them.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.