IMPACT OF 'THE PASSION'
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
Date sent: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 18:14:05 -0500
I saw the Passion of Christ on Thursday night with my
family, the day before I was to attend an authors'
convention. Previous to this, I was concerned about
meeting an author that planned to be there who is a
transsexual, a man that underwent a sex change to be
a woman and is still living with his wife. I was uneasy,
I felt disgusted and didn't want to meet this person.
After seeing the Passion, my heart was changed. I will
never be the same. Among a plethora of things, came
the revelation to my soul that I am not any man's judge,
that Christ is the one who suffered and died for every
man's sins, not me. In the movie, there is the scene
where he tells the disciples to love one another, to
forgive their enemies. Then you see his passion, and
you see his forgiveness and profound love. "Father,
forgive them. They do not know what they are doing."
In addition, I realized I must say this prayer too. I
needed forgiveness.
So, I went to the conference, and God put me to the
test. I walked into a room and another author called to
me from the front of the room, and as I approached him,
he told me he wanted to introduce me to this person. He
too had seen the movie the night before. He introduced
me to the transsexual. This lost soul stretched out a
hand that was mannish, and looked at me with watery
eyes, and a feminine smile and said, "I am so glad to
meet you." Before, I didn't think I could have done this,
but I took a firm hold of this hand and shook it, looking
straight into the person's eyes, smiling with my own and
saying hello. I felt so much of the love of God for this
soul. I wanted to grab him and tell him how much God
loves him and that I would pray that he would find peace
with the Lord. I know I did in my eyes and smile, and in
my touch, and the way I spoke to him.
After the convention, the transsexual sought me out,
and came to say goodbye. He said it had been a
privilege to have met me. I took the hand again, and
this time I squeezed it, surrounding it with both of my
small palms. I looked him straight in the eyes and
said, "Yes, and God bless you."
The person looked at me kind of stunned at my words
and said in a quiet voice, "Thank you." That was all
that passed between us, yet I feel there was more that
did not need to be through spoken words, that there
might be more at another time.
Yes, all the vile works of the flesh are being thrown into
our faces. There are those who do so with a conscious
seared with a hot iron. But there are those who are in
torment and pain. I do not condone the sin, but I love the
sinner. I see this now even more after watching the Passion.
Let us do as our Lord commanded us and love one
another, let us forgive our enemies, let us show them
compassion and win them to him with the love of God.
Let us treat them the same way we would treat someone
diseased in body... for they are diseased in their souls
tormented by Satan.
Let us wash their wounds with God's Word and his love,
and heal them with the good news that Jesus suffered
and died for their sins, and that he is the risen Lord of
glory who is coming back.
I am going to pray for this person this year, that they
find Jesus and become born again. If you know a
homosexual, a transgender person, someone who is
living such a lifestyle, pray for them to find Jesus.
~Rita Gerlach,
Author.
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