KIM LAWTON: The styles and traditions may vary, but on Easter Sunday, all Christians celebrate a central tenet of their faith: that Jesus Christ was crucified and three days later, he rose again. The story may be 2,000 years old, but Christians believe it still has meaning today.Reverend FLEMING RUTLEDGE: Jesus is alive. There's never a possibility of the event fading into the mists of the past because this is about a living God who acts and speaks in our own time and will continue to do so.
LAWTON: Over the centuries, the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection has been told, and retold, through art, music, and drama. And public interest hasn't waned.
(To Rev. Rutledge): What is it about the story that still intrigues us?
Rev. RUTLEDGE: If you're not a believer, it's a cultural phenomenon of some sort. It's related to the history of art and the history of warfare. But if one is a believer, then this is the story that never dies, because this is the story of God's decisive, once-for-all intervention, on behalf of his creation, to save it.LAWTON: Fleming Rutledge was one of the first women to be ordained in the U.S. Episcopal Church, and she has been called one of America's best preachers. A popular Holy Week speaker, she has written widely about crucifixion and resurrection themes. She says visual depictions such as Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST cannot convey the full Easter story.
Rev. RUTLEDGE: The meaning of the cross can't be found in looking at the beating and the flaying and the nailing. The meaning can only be grasped through very deep engagement with the various portions of Scripture where this is proclaimed. It is the word, the words, the message that brings life.
LAWTON: In Gibson's depiction, virtually the entire film focuses on the crucifixion and the violence leading up to it; only a few seconds at the end are devoted to the resurrection.(To Rev. Rutledge): Can the crucifixion be understood apart from the resurrection?
LAWTON: Differing streams of Christianity have at times placed more emphasis on one over the other. Theologians have criticized many Protestants, and particularly Evangelicals, for jumping too quickly to the happy ending of Easter without first meditating on the grief and horror of Good Friday.
LAWTON: Rutledge has preached Holy Week sermons for nearly 25 years. She's keenly aware of the need to come up with something fresh to say every time. But she says she rarely finds herself at a loss.
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