I Agree with Brian McLaren

(Thanks to Elizabeth Rambo for the link!)

Regarding the worrying fact that while so many Christians are compelled to go see The Passion of the Christ while very few can be bothered to even consider Hotel Rwanda ... I agree with Brian McLaren.

If your pastor has shown interest in Mel Gibson’s film, print out this article and give it to your pastor.

Here’s an excerpt:

For whatever reason, when I walked out of the 2005 film Hotel Rwanda this thought wouldn’t leave me: If we really had the mind and heart of Christ, this is the movie we would be urging people in our churches to see.

In fact, I can't think of a more worthwhile experience for Christian leaders than to watch Hotel Rwanda and then ask themselves questions like these:

- Which film would Jesus most want us to see, and why?

- Why did so many churches urge people to see Gibson’s film, and why did so few (if any?) promote Terry George’s film? What do our answers to that question say about us?

- What were the practical outcomes of millions of people seeing Gibson’s film? And what outcomes might occur if equal numbers saw Hotel Rwanda — as an act of Christian faithfulness?

- In what sense could Hotel Rwanda actually be titled The Passion of the Christ?

- What do we make of the fact that a high percentage of Rwandans who participated in the 1994 genocides were churchgoers?

- What do we make of the fact that a high percentage of the Americans who ignored the 1994 genocides (then and now) were and are churchgoers?

- What kind of repentance does each film evoke in Western Christians?

- Why might the kind of repentance evoked by Hotel Rwanda be especially needed during these important days in history?