Colonel's Review of "Passion of Christ", page 3

Subject: PAUL HARVEY (THE REST OF THE STORY)

Here's one that's worth reading.

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 a handsome 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 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 pol ice 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 this
young man no longer had a face. His eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs
and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all his 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 5 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. There 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, who outlook now on life, even though he had
expe rienced 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 Rest Of The Story

The young man was and 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.

And to think I admired him before I knew any of this!! He is quite a man!!!!

Paul Harvey

This may help us understand why Mel Gibson has been so committed to his
latest movie venture as director of, "The Passion." Gibson is once again
being attacked. This time because of his blunt honesty and commitment to
Biblical accuracy in his vivid portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.