By By ANNA M. LEE Assistant Editor
Since Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was released in theaters on Ash Wednesday, interest in the movie has swelled quickly, and hundreds of local citizens are organizing groups to view the film together.
The movie covers the last 12 hours of Jesus' life beginning with His visit to Gethsemane after the Last Supper, through His temptation by Satan, His arrest and trial and His subsequent torture and crucifixion. The screenplay was adapted from a composite account of the Passion assembled from the four gospels and is performed entirely in Aramaic and Latin.
The Living Word Bookstore proprietor Maggie Silbernagel decided to sell tickets through the bookstore after seeing the movie herself.
Silbernagel has now seen the movie twice and is excited to offer tickets for an 11 a.m. showing on March 13 at the Rave in Pensacola.
The Living Word has partnered with Pineview Pentacostal Church to offer the tickets for sale and has had an overwhelming response, Silbernagel said. Initially they planned to sell enough tickets to fill a150-seat theater and now they expect to fill a 400-seat theater.
The First Baptist Church of Brewton will also be taking a group to see "The Passion of the Christ" on March 20 at the Carmike on Nine Mile Road in Pensacola.
The church has organized about 150 people who are planning to go now, and they expect a total of 175 to 200, including a group from First Presbyterian Church.
St. Stephens Episcopal is also planning to take a group of its ninth to 12th grade youth group, said Angie Johnson, youth director. The date has not been decided yet, but the group will go during Lent as a Lenten project to coincide with this time of reflection and education.