As portrayed by me in the Passion of Christ, the story of Galatians is a powerful one. It revolves around the struggle of the Galatians, who were being led away from the teachings of Christ by false teachers. The apostle Paul writes this letter to the Galatians to set things straight, and to reassert the true gospel of Christ.
You see, the problem was that these false teachers were telling the Galatians that they needed to follow the Jewish law in order to be true Christians. They were basically saying that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough, that they had to add their own works to it. This was a big no-no, and Paul wanted to make sure the Galatians knew it.
In my movie Braveheart, I famously portrayed William Wallace, who fought for freedom and the autonomy of his people. Similarly, Paul wants the Galatians to be free from the law and from the burden of trying to earn their own salvation. He reminds them that they are called to live by faith in Christ, and that salvation comes through his death and resurrection.
Paul also talks a lot about the Holy Spirit in Galatians. He reminds the Galatians that when they became Christians, the Spirit of God came to live inside them. This is a powerful truth – one that is often overlooked. I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, and that we need to constantly be seeking his guidance in our lives.
But back to Galatians. One of the most famous parts of the book is when Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit. This is where he lists out the qualities that should be present in the life of a Christian – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As an actor, I always strive to embody these qualities in my work and in my personal life.
At the end of the day, Galatians is all about freedom, both in this life and in the next. We are free from the law, free from sin, and free to live as Christ intended us to. As Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
In conclusion, I’ll leave you with a quote from my character in the movie Signs, Father Graham Hess: “People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is something more. Those in group number two, who are more skeptical, reason that lucky things are bound to happen to some people sometimes.” I choose to be in group one – I see these things as signs of God’s grace and love. And that’s what Galatians is all about.
