This week I saw two of my friends from Belarus, Gleb and Taras. Both of them lead the New Generation ministry in Belarus of which I helped with for the last two summers. They are touring the country receiving teaching as well as doing some teaching themselves. Anyways, it was good to see them. Gleb knew I wasn't coming back this summer, but he asked if I was coming the following summer. This is such a difficult question to answer because who can know what they will be doing in a year and a half. I don't even know where I will be living in a year and a half. I answered as diplomatically as I could, "I want to." I really don't know at this time if I ever will go back though, but it was true that I wanted to. You always need to be careful when telling a foreign national what you will do. Your word is a promise whether you say "I promise" or not. Just this week I got an email from one of my friends in Belarus asking me why I haven't sent a picture of me and her yet like I "promised". Luckily, Gleb-mail will be alot quicker than the regular post so all is forgiven. You always have to be mindful of what you say because people put alot of hope in it. American culture is very forgiving of this and small things promised can be overlooked over time because they are small. But in Belarus (and Albania) it doesn't matter how small a thing you say, it means everything to them.

Anyways, when hanging out with Gleb and Taras, we were watching the Primetime interview of Mel Gibson. The Passion has created a lot of attention for him especially in the last month to its release. I think that one of the primary things that Christians wonder about concerning him is whether he is really a Christian. In watching the interview, he came off a bit quirky, but for the most part he held up really well concerning his faith. He derailed a bit when he said that people can be saved outside of Christ, but that it's just easier to be saved if you take Christ's path. I wonder if Mel Gibson ever read John 14:6? But even if he believes that, I still believe that Gibson is saved. I used to believe that Mormons were saved when I was in junior high and early in high school because I had a lot of Mormon friends and they were moral like me, but in reality they don't trust solely in Christ's sacrifice on the cross to pay for their sins. That's a damning disbelief. But was I not saved as well for thinking that they were saved? Of course not because I believed that my debt was paid because Christ paid the penalty for me. Another reason I think he's saved is because he is really sticking his neck out to do this thing. Christianity is tolerated but it's not popular in the entertainment business. Not only that, but he's made a film that sticks very close to Scripture and he is burdened that it's represented accurately. He has received a lot of criticism and he has not wavered. He even put the film in a language that no one understands to add to its authenticity. He risks damage to his career by the release of this film. He spent his own money to make it. He doesn't care, he feels it has to be made. So much for promoting self-image, this is not your typical Hollywood celebrity. I think another strong indication of his salvation is his transformation. It was almost like he was quoting Ecclesiastes when he said he had it all and now he looks back to it and he no longer wants it. It means nothing. It's not even attractive to him. I can't agree with him on everything he says, but it seems that he does have a genuine relationship with Christ. Ultimately, only God knows, but He also said we would know our brethren by their fruits. The cross and Christ are offensive to many people, and he's gone on national television to explain it and defend it many times while taking a beating from critics in newspapers all over the country. Now that's faith that few of us have been tested in. When was the last time you were on national television proclaiming your beliefs? How easy would that be?

I'm sure alot of Christians think that this movie is just what is needed to save people. No doubt that some people will be saved as a result of this, but let me make it clear that God doesn't need this movie to save the lost. God doesn't need a famous celebrity to spread His message successfully. If God needed people with powers of influence, then he wouldn't have been born into a carpenter's family from Nazareth. He wouldn't have chosen fishermen and tax collectors to be his disciples. And He wouldn't have kept the company of prostitutes, thieves, and other scum. Read 1 Corinthians 1:25-27. Our God makes kings out of shepherd boys. Why? So He can be even more glorified. The individual is nothing apart from Christ. But God does use kings from time to time and I think that's what we're seeing here with The Passion. (Oh and I know that the full name of the movie is The Passion of the Christ, but I think that's redundant so I refuse to call it that, ha ha.)