In Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, he intentionally focuses on the most graphic aspects of Jesus’s crucifixion. The focal point was to get us to understand the immensity of pain Jesus endured as our paschal sacrifice. In Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s book, The Passion and the Cross, he writes with great insight about the way the gospels make scant reference to the physical suffering of Jesus. He sees beyond the blood and gore and concentrates on the inner attitudes at the core of Jesus’ heart of forgiveness, empathy, willingness, and love. Dr. Conrad Yap, in a review of Fr. Rolheiser’s book, notes the four key themes of his book that clearly show us why the Cross of Christ is so significant: The cross as a moral revolution points us away from external things toward the inner life of a spiritual man; the cross as the deepest revelation shows us the passion of God and how he longs for us even before we wake up from our sinful slumber; the cross of salvation gives us life; and the resurrection leads us to life everlasting in the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Fr. Rolheiser further observes “six interpenetrating things” about what it means to carry our cross daily: (1) accepting that suffering is part of life; (2) choosing not to pass down bitterness to others; (3) having the willingness to let parts of us die; (4) waiting for the resurrection that is to come; (5) humbly acknowledging that life is often not what we expect; and (6) a willingness to surrender our lives. The lesson of Jesus’s passion asks us is: In the darkness of life, will we let go of our light? In the face of hatred, will we let go of love? That’s the real and central drama of the Passion of the Christ, not the ropes, whips, and nails.