Posted on 01/14/2003 5:38:29 PM PST by sweetliberty
I was just watching O'Reilly interviewing Mel Gibson who is doing a very graphic movie making a very strong statement about the death of Christ. It was evident to me in the interview that Mel is committed to getting the Christian message out although he apparently is quite aware that there are those in America (of course) who are busy now behind the scenes trying to generate a scandal, even going so far as to try and intimidate his elderly father into making incriminating statements. Normally I could care less about what the morons in Hollywood are doing, but this was such a refreshing change from the usual liberal weirdness and perversity that I just had to start a thread.
Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York
State to Australia to take advantage of a work
opportunity there. Part of this man's family was
handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the
circus as a trapeze artist or an actor. This young fellow,
biding his time until a circus job or even one as a
stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards
which bordered on the worse section of town.
Walking home from work one evening this young man was
attacked by five thugs who wanted to rob him.
Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow
resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded
to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their
boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally with
clubs, leaving him for dead. When the police happened
to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead
and called for the Morgue Wagon.
On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for
air, and they immediately took him to the emergency
unit at the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a
nurse remarked to her horror,that his young man no
longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his
skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally
hanging from his face, all is teeth were gone, and his
jaw was almost completely torn from his skull.
Although his life was spared he spent over a year in the
hospital. When he finally left, his body may have
healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was
no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired.
When the young man started to look for work again he was
turned down by everyone just on account of the way he
looked. One potential employer suggested to him that
he join the freak show at the circus as The Man Who
Had No Face. And he did this for a while. He was
still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen
in his company. He had thoughts of suicide.
This went on for five years.
One day he passed a church and sought some solace there.
Entering the church he encountered a priest who had
seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest
took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they
talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to
such a degree that he said that he would do everything
possible for him that could be done to restore his
dignity and life, if the young man would promise to
be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in God's
mercy to free him from his torturous life...
The young man went to Mass and communion every day, and
after thanking God for saving his life, asked God to
only give him peace of mind and the grace to be the
best man he could ever be in His eyes.
The priest, through his personal contacts was able to
secure the services of the best plastic surgeon in
Australia. They would be no cost to the young man, as
the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too
was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on
life, even though he had experienced the worst was
filled with good humor and love.
The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental
work was also done for him. The young man became
everything he promised God he would be.
He was also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and
many children and success in an industry which would
have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career
if not for the goodness of God and the love of the
people who cared for him. This he acknowledges
publicly.
The young man is......Mel Gibson.
His life was the inspiration for his production of the
movie "The Man Without A Face." He is to be admired by
all of us as a God fearing man, a political
conservative, and an example to all as a true man
of courage.
Absolutely. Also rent/purchase the video when it hits Blockbuster to give him royalties. I think every opportunity to support this type of behavior should be taken.
Thank you so much for the knowledge that I have not grown to be so cynical and steeled by life and the events of this world that I cannot be choked up by beauty outside of the Gospel. The Lord's blessings on you and yours.....
Yeah -- let's make this one a MAJOR BLOCKBUSTER!!!
I think O'Reilly and Gibson are great illustrations of a post I made the other day about there being 2 different kinds of Catholics, those who study the scriptures and seek God through prayer to live by them, and those who are not Bible readers and rely on being spoon fed from the pulpit for their spiritual nourishment. I don't think you'll need more than one guess as to which is which.
The same spirit that could cause such a story to be told in good faith (I assume) undoubtedly has driven the hearts of human beings to retell it with their real-life works.
I, too, was saved from a variety of circumstances during the course of my life by humble servants of the Lord who serve and worship Him from the ramparts of various creeds.
Perhaps one of my most poigniant memories is that of a Roman Catholic priest whose counsel I sought during the sad days of my undergraduate studies at Indiana University.
Such has impelled me, a non-Catholic, to endeavor to resist those who -- on the basis of the vile deeds of wolves in their midst -- wickedly would seek to slander and discredit Roman Catholics and others who faithfully worship and serve the Lord according to the dictates of the heart and the conscience which extend from the sustained and sweet promptings of His Spirit.
I hope that people of good will in all walks of life will keep the faith and seek His truth whenever and wherever they find it...
Roger THAT!
Speaking of "giving them hell," I saw an interview once, years ago (first Lethal Weapon timeframe) in which Mel was asked something about some statement he had made not too long prior to said interview regarding homosexuals. His answer was something on the order of he didn't hate them, but that "in my opininion" homosexuality was wrong and he didn't like it. He then (and this I remember exactly) looked directly into the TV camera and said, "...and the last time I checked I WAS entitled to my own opinion!"
I loved it, and I loved the way Mel's answer put an immediate stop to that line of questioning!
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