The play Jekyll and Hyde is about a kind man, Dr. Henry Jekyll, who becomes obsessed with man's nature of good and evil and questions whether they can be separated. He creates a potion that splits them apart and injects himself with it. His evil side - Mr. Edward Hyde - takes over his body and transforms Jekyll into a disheveled menace with extraordinary strength and energy. He stalks the city, commits murders and relishes the power of unfettered evil. In the end, the transformations begin happening spontaneously so Jekyll kills himself to end the terror.
The acting, singing, musical score, choreography and orchestra were stellar and made for a great evening. It was staged in the old high school auditorium in Ludlow, MA by the Exit 7 Players, a regional theatre company. Ben Ashley performed the role of Jekyll/Hyde and received a standing ovation. Ben's day job is installing security systems.
The duality of the human personality is undeniable. Christianity chalks it up to Satan who, depending on the church you belong to, is either a living presence or the name for the "Mr. Hyde" part of our psyche. In either case, it crystallizes our struggle between good and evil. Depending on personality, upbringing, stress, peer pressure, occupation and a million other factors Satan can - and does - cause even strong Christians to fall short of their ideals.
He was subsequently arrested for DUI, spewed anti-Semitic slurs, screamed insults and threats at his ex-girlfriend and was investigated for domestic violence. As his image crumbled my wife thought the media was "making him look crazy." I noted that Mel always looked crazy, in the best possible way, and it was part of his charm. Maybe that wild glint in his eyes is a window into a monumental struggle with Satan. It's possible he's been out of control all along but an adoring press and film industry quashed it. Maybe making a Christian movie did go too far and he became a target.
Gibson could only have made The Passion of the Christ if he genuinely had faith. This doesn't excuse his conduct. As a Christian he can ask forgiveness, work to change his behavior, be forgiven and move on. But he does seem to be in a turbulent struggle with evil and, like other Christians, sometimes darkness wins.
Mel's fall is a gift to a media that enjoys reporting hypocrisy as though it gives lie to Christianity. They miss the point that our faith has ideals we aspire to but fall short of. Gibson's failure to live up to them speaks to his humanity, not his faith's viability. Mr. Hyde lives in all of us and Christians work to control him through Christ. Fortunately, our transgressions aren't usually subject to eager public finger-pointing like Mel's are.
Photo credit: hollywoodjesus.com
I have never seen this blog before and I wonder how it got to my email box, however I read it and found it inaccurate to say the least. First to describe people as having a duality of personalities is ludicrous. All men, from the day they are born chase sin, they never pursue good. (Romans 1.) If a person becomes a christian they have all the power of God available to them to not sin, but most of the time they still do. Satan does not cause anyone to sin, he simply presents a lie and we willingly believe it. We are too easily pleased. To say that Mel Gibson must have genuine faith because he made a movie....really? Is Steven Speilberg an extra-terrestrial? Is Ridley Scott a Gladiator? It seems that what makes most people christian these days is anything but what actually does.....God. Instead of defending someone who may or may not actually believe that the God of the Universe paid for sin by dying in our place, how about celebrating the fact that God can and does use anyone, including Mel Gibson (christian or not) to make a really good movie about the Jesus.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to feel mankind never pursues good unless they avoid it through the power of God. As a practical matter I see non-Christians doing good things all the time. They obviously have the ability to do good or evil. In stating that even if a Christian has the power of God he still sins "most of the time," aren't they doing good the rest of the time? The idea we have the ability to be both good and evil is what's meant by duality. Are you always good? Or bad? If you're not 100% in one category or the other, you've got duality.
ReplyDeleteIf Satan presents a lie and we act on it, would we have acted if the lie wasn't presented? If not, it's fair to say he causes people to sin.
I'm not privy to Gibson's heart and can't know whether he's a Christian or not. But I can look at the facts and make a reasonable deduction. He was a top star in secular movies who risked millions financing a movie no one else thought stood a chance of turning a profit. He recorded it in First Century Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew and used subtitles - hardly a recipe for commercial success. The seriousness of the film was emphasized to all concerned throughout production. And if you channel surfed you would sometimes find mega-star Gibson being interviewed about the film in obscure local and regional venues. I may be wrong, but it looks like a labor of love and faith to me. If he had no faith, why would he ever have done this?
Comparisons to Spielberg and Scott, who make entertaining commercially oriented movies for mass appeal with industry support are hardly in the same category.
I can't know Mel's faith. But all of us fall short of the glory of God, and Mel Gibson may fall even further because he's got more temptations than we'll ever know. As a Christian he may believe he needs God's forgiveness as much as, and maybe more than, anybody else.
Gibson's behavior has been over the top, but unless you're living a perfect life your behavior is over the top, too. Personally, I won't cast the first stone at him.
It is not I that says mankid does not pursue good, it is God who says it, period. Non christians do good works, but the motivation behind the works is NOT to please or glorify God, that is the difference. I will give you duality as long as you don't try and sell it as christians having to 2 spirits, which is how I read your blog. We are sinners from birth, saved by Grace and sanctified ONLY by the power of God. Satan does NOT cause us to sin, he presents the lie and we choose to sin, it is our responsibility, WE CHOOSE TO SIN. As far as choosing to sin without a lie presented...YES, the bible is clear we are enticed by OUR OWN lusts and desires.
ReplyDeleteYour argument about Gibsons "labor of love" seems like a "religious" man striving/working for the approval of God, the very definition of religion. Being interviewed by obscure on local venues does not prove ones faith. Like you I don't know Gibsons heart, however there is no outward evidence for true biblical christianityin him. The comparisons of Speilberg and Scott are spot on using your logic.
I don't know what you are saying by Gibson faces more temptation than we will ever know. Being a movie star does not subject one to anymore temptation than non movie stars.
I am not casting stones at Gibson or you for that matter, I just find it more comforting to know that the God of the Universe, can and does use anyone to spread the Gospel and get Glory.