The Passion of the Christ Moves the Heart of Christians

The Passion of the Christ opened February 25 in theaters across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and will be released in Greece February 27. Its world premiere continues as the film opens in several other countries on various dates throughout March and April.

In Amory, Mississippi, cool temperatures and light showers did not stop people from lining up at the Amory Twin Cinema at 4:00 in the afternoon for a 7:30 showing of the movie. The North Mississippi Worship Center, which rented the theater for a three-night run, bought all 200 tickets to the showing and gave them away on a first-come, first served basis.

Pastor Dudley Nash, from Amory, Mississippi, believes God will use the movie to make the magnitude of Christ's agony and sacrifice more vivid and concrete for believers and non-believers alike.

The CBA Web site declares that "Gibson's film may be a precursor to revival." Churches around the country give Sunday sermons with such themes of the sacrifice and Resurrection of Christ to proclaim the Love of God.

"Sometimes we water down the story of the Bible in terms of Christ's suffering and what he went through," Duncan said. "The momentum behind this thing is incredible," said Duncan, a professed movie-lover.

Many churches and Christian groups are counting on the film, which depicts the last 12 hours of Christ's earthly life and his crucifixion, to open doors for evangelism. At the Amory theater, as the credits rolled at the end of the two-hour film, Scott Carter, Northeast Mississippi director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, gave an altar call. And as the crowd somberly filed out of the theater, members of the local chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association handed out gospel tracts.