Of course Mel “deserves” another chance. (as if we are in a position to decide who deserves what in this matter).  He has made mistakes, as have all of us. He has paid for those mistakes. None of what he did takes away from the fact that he is a movie maker and has made some great movies.  To see any discussion at all as to whether he “has a right’ to make a movie about a Jewish epic hero is ridiculous.  Of course he “has a right” to make this movie. He has proven in his previous work that when he makes historical movies, he is committed to telling the story as closely as possible to what we actually know about the historical event.  When I think of the work he did in The Passion of the Christ, I am still moved by the unflinchingly honest look we had at how Christ suffered, both on the cross and leading up to the cross. Mel isn’t afraid of unpleasant details – he’s interested in telling the whole story.Â
The cries of “antisemitism” are heard far too often and have become reminiscent of the boy who cried wolf.Â
Make the movie, Mel. 

I love that Mel Gibson’s filter is broken.  At least we see the human that he is.  Crazy, evil, sinful thoughts rise up from our wicked hearts.  Some of us can hide them and spare ourselves from the embarrassment.  Others just let them out.  What amuses me is that everyone acts shocked, as though they themselves have never conceived such vile.  But in the end, like Paul reminds us, we all fall short of the Glory of God.  Therefore, I say, give Mel Gibson a second chance; actually, 70 x 7. 

My husband and I just watched The Beaver last night, which stars Mel Gibson. We talked briefly on all of the media hoopla he underwent not long ago. Looking forward to reading the posts for this one, as well as searching my heart to blog.

Whenever people bring up the idea that someone forfeited their rights to do something…I always think of the Apostle Paul, a once murderer. God called Paul, “his chosen instrument” to carry the Good News to the Gentiles…of all people, he uses Paul.   We can’t give up on people because of their mistakes and just assume they forfeit their rights to something. 

I understand alcoholism and therefore drunken stupidness. I understand that about Mel. But I want to be careful in not diminishing the concerns of those who are upset with him. Last week we all talked about how hard it is to imagine the hate that the KKK has shown primarily towards blacks (although they are pretty equal-opportunity in hating anyone not like them). To many who are Jewish, Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic rants are equal to a KKK member’s anti-black rants. And some of the Jews (although that generation is getting old and dying out) remember the horrors wrought by the ultimate anti-Semite of modern history, just like blacks have memories of run-ins with the KKK. So while Mel has done some truly great things, there are some who would liken him to a KKK member who has had his hood ripped off. We need to remember that many times KKK members were very nice and well-respected members of their community. They were not people that you would expect to be filled with hate that drove them to disguise themselves and carry out vile acts. Yes, I know that we have not caught Mel burning things in people’s yards, etc. I just think we should be careful when we downplay how his faults might have affected others. There are also the claims of domestic violence. We need to hold him accountable for that, even if we give him a second chance. Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be in paradise that very day. Jesus did not take the thief off the cross or keep him from feeling the pain of the crucifixion that had come about as a result of his crimes. I just want to tread very careful here. I’m learning (the hard way) that hurting one person in order to show mercy to another is not really showing mercy at all. 

End of rant and thank you for your support.

If we have a problem with Mel Gibson making a movie about a Jewish hero then corporate worship that includes any of King David’s psalms must be stricken from all hymnals and services on Sunday mornings.

Mel has nothing on King David in terms of racking up a beat sheet.  Adultery, murder, lying… and he wasn’t a great family man either.  His son raped his own sister.

And before we mention David’s act of contrition, let’s remember that it didn’t come willingly.  He was caught red-handed by the prophet.  I can hear the cries today… “Of course he’s crying out for a clean heart.  Sure tears are flowing now.  He got caught!”

David is a hero of the faith and we hold him as such.  Even the Word calls him “a man after God’s own heart.”

Of course, we must recognize the hurt our actions cause.  Forgiveness isn’t acting like it didn’t happen.  Forgiveness is staring the mountain of debt the person owes you and releasing them from it.

This came on a day I really needed it. Thank you POTSC poster-pickers.

[...] week’s POTSC Never Beyond is the Lethal Weapon himself. Once one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, now a pariah among the [...]

[...] [...]

[...] found it very interesting that the People of the Second Chance chose Mel Gibson as their latest Second Chance choice… but after all the controversy that he’s caused, not so [...]

It would be nice to know his heart. It would be nice to know if this new film is born out of a spirit of contrition or if it is a brazen attempt to rehabilitate his image – but these things are beyond our scope. Does Mel deserve a second chance? Well, deserve’s got nothing to do with it. If we all got what we deserve it would be a pretty desolate planet. Of course Mel has the right to earn a living. Whether or not I pay to see his film – that’s a different question.

[...] out the POTSC site to read and join some of the other great conversations going on about grace, forgiveness and second [...]

Two nights ago I sat down to dinner with Steven MvEveety, the producer of both Braveheart and The Passion of The Christ. A thoughtful, wise, grace-filled man with a soft voice and a powerful influence in Hollywood. He understands the journey people go through from disgrace to grace, and sometimes back to grace. Bottom line? Hollywood films are so much bigger than actors, directors, producers, and bottom line revenue. We’d all be amazed to sit and read the credits of the POTC and see how many skeptics, doubters, sinners, and athiests touched the final film in one way or another.

Steven, as well as his business partner David Segal (also at the dinner, who came up after I finished leading a worship time) are both committed to the bigger picture. The day we stop associating with talking asses (like me at times) and burning bushes, we need to search our own narrow hearts. In the words of a former alcoholic, twice divorced now partially blind, but still filled with wisdom:

“Any church that will not accept that it consists of sinful men and women, and exists for them, implicitly rejects the gospel of grace. As Hans Kung say, “it deserves neither God’s mercy nor men’s trust. The church must constantly be aware that its faith is weak, its knowledge dim, its profession of faith halting, that there is not a single sin or failing which it has not in one way or another been guilty of. And though it is true that the church must always disassociate itself from sin, it can never have any excuse for keeping any sinners at a distance. If the church remains self-righteously aloof from failures, irreligious and immoral people, it cannot enter justified into God’s kingdom. But if it is constantly aware of its guilt and sin, it can live in joyous awareness of forgiveness. The promise has been given to it that anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Stefan Youngblood