Gibson's Dream

CBN.com -- Each New Year, we get flooded with stories such as “Biggest News Stories Of The Year.” You’ve seen them. One such service listed the top five entertainment stories for 2004.

Number 4 interested me: The film, Mel Gibson’s classic “The Passion of the Christ,” was listed because it was such a personal project on Gibson’s part. The hoopla started months before the epic was released.

Some viewed it as anti-Semitic (side bar: most of my rabbinical friends, and I have many, didn’t feel that way). Others predicted the film would bring Gibson’s film career to an end since it was his money on the line. Many distributors turned “thumbs down” on it.

Big mistake on their part because the film is now ballyhooed as the 8th all-time money-grossing movie ever made. Audiences embraced it and Gibson became one of the wealthiest and most powerful filmmakers in Hollywood.

One critic wrote, “I think the “genius of the year” award goes to Mel Gibson. Here’s a man who said, “I want to build this movie, I want to do it on my own, with my own money, and I don’t care what anyone says.” He had everyone after him... and then he put it out there and people loved it.”

Most people believe Gibson pursued his project for religious reasons, not monetary ones. If that is indeed true, then it brings new meaning to Jesus’ admonition, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” Further, the Gibson film shows that a person can follow his or her dream, no matter what anyone says, and be successful.

Don’t allow anyone to rain on your parade, good friend. Believe in your dreams.

Used with permission by author, Dan Betzer. Previously published on ByLine OnLine, copyright © 2005 Media Ministries of the Assemblies of God.