Diversity at Work

I am Catholic, my friend is Jewish, and we are discussing Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ." Within minutes, we are both frustrated. Me with her. Her with me. And both of us with ourselves.

The words to express our thoughts about the film seem to come hard. Sometimes we agree. Sometimes, our statements clarify. Sometimes, they conflict. Both of us soon realize we are speaking through knowledge deficits.

She stumbles to explain her fear of the film, which opens in theaters nationally on Ash Wednesday, February 25. She says she has never seen a Passion play, and, in fact, doesn't understand what the term refers to (a depiction of Jesus' suffering in his last 12 hours of life).

I try to explain the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, how they differ in historic perspective on Jesus' trial. Yet my view is not heavily steeped in Bible study. And the Passion plays I'm most familiar with were performed in Mexico, in Spanish. I vaguely recall being uncomfortable as a child in Mass when the congregation is told to yell out repeatedly during the pre-Easter services, "Crucify him." That is the part of the Passion plays that have been used to blame Jewish people for Jesus' death -- the deicide charge.

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My friend was taught such performances are anti-Semitic. I recoil, offended at the term, its linkage to something I believe in. Yet, can I question when a Jewish person uses the term?

Ah. Fear. Misinformation. Difficulty expressing an idea succinctly.

I pity the journalist assigned to quote either my friend or me at that moment. But that is exactly what journalists will be asked to do as the movie opens this week.

Context, backgrounds, all will be so important to accurately capture what people feel about the film. Indeed, what people may have trouble articulating, including journalists, might be the very background needed to give meaning to comments.

Here are two sets of questions to set some parameters for discussion.

First, some questions journalists should ask themselves:

• What is my personal background with Passion plays?
• Have I studied them more through Bible readings, or mostly just watched them as a performance?
• If an interview subject begins citing Bible quotations, will I know if they are accurate?
• What do I know about the origin of the Passion and its history?
• What do I know about the way different Christian denominations might view the Passion? (Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Protestants -- from Mainline Anglicans to Southern Baptists)
• What do I know about what Jewish people know about the Passion and the New Testament in general?
• What do I know about the term anti-Semitism? Does it mean different things to different people?
• What do I need to know about why the Passion is so important to so many people?

Some sample questions to help guide interviews:

• What do I know about what the moviegoer saw in the film and how it struck him or her?
• What do I know about his or her religious background, or lack of religious education, and how it influenced his or her viewing of the film?
• Has this person ever studied the New Testament or viewed a Passion play?
• What do I know about how the movie was promoted in my community?
• What do I know about why this individual came to see the movie?
• What do I need to know about this person's knowledge of Judeo/Christian conflicts historically?
• Which portions of the film moved this viewer?
• Does this viewer give much less importance to portions of the film that were pivotal to other viewers?

I suspect the movie will draw a wide range of opinions. Some may be offended at the violence and not experience a religious-based reaction. Some may view it as a pinnacle to either renewing or instilling faith. Others may tap into centuries of hatreds and fears.

Whatever the response, people will want their reactions accurately replayed by the media. Reporters who stayed focused on thorough reporting and learning what shaped a person's approach to the film will create a strong foundation for accurate pieces that can offer clarity amid the controversy.