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# Gibson must seize his God-given golden opportunity
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/gibson-must-seize-his-god-given-golden-opportunity/
- Published: 2006-08-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:26:40.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By THE WITNESS STAND BY CLIFF NICHOLS*

It would appear that anti-Semitism is to a society, or for that matter to any individual, what leprosy is to human flesh. It corrodes and decays. What before may have been living and vibrant is made repulsive. Nothing of any value appears to be left in its wake and the damage it inflicts often seems irreversible. Such would appear to be the tragedy that just occurred, if in fact it turns out to be true that Mel Gibson did say the oh-so-very ugly things that he has been said to have said about Jews on the night of his drunk driving arrest. But, in it all, I have to ask whether there might be some blessing buried within the wound Mel inflicted.

First, let this be said: Christ neither ever was, nor is he today, anti-Semitic. He was a Jew who loved his people and still does. Having said that, what does that tell you about what opinion on the subject those who are devoted to him should hold? And even though some erroneously may think otherwise, to my mind such people will never be able to make anti-Semitism either moral or right.

Now, having said that, let me also point out something else I think should be obvious. None of us are exempt from doing and saying things we regret and that includes people like Mel Gibson. He is, after all, nothing more than just another human being. That is to say, like all the rest of us, he is flawed and thus in need of the compassion and forgiveness we all ultimately hope to receive from time to time. That does not, however, address the damaging nature of his remarks. To do that, I think he will have to take a very introspective account of what in his life has brought him to his current crisis. Then he will need to take the appropriate actions necessary to effect a satisfactory remedy, which ought to include a heartfelt apology from him addressed directly and publicly to the world’s Jewish community. If he were to actually do that, he might not only powerfully contribute towards stemming the odious infestations of anti- Semitism that are appearing currently around the world, but also to the education of many about his Messiah’s love for all of mankind. Is that an opportunity Mel should seize or what? If he was not a spokesman for Jesus before, now may be his chance in a way that is even more powerful than what was available to him before.

Could it be merely a funny coincidence that right now would appear to be the very time that such a spokesman is so very much needed? Given the present wars in the Middle East, and perhaps because of those wars, anti-Semitism now appears to be breaking out openly in places more today than at any time since World War II. From the words of Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the condemnations of Israel for defending itself, it should seem apparent to even the casual observer that the spirits working for the enemy of Mel’s Christ are busy right now sowing their evil seeds of anti-Semitic hatred. And, during these times it is also interesting to me that God seems to have decided to put Mel at a podium now set before the world to speak on his behalf, if he is willing to do so. For me, the true tragedy would be if Mel lets his mistakes, coupled with his love of his earthly treasures, cloud his view and so cause him to miss this opportunity altogether.

From one perspective, anti-Semitism could be viewed as one of many forms that deny who Christ was. And from that point of view, the good news is that it is a mistake that might possibly be put to good use by people who have the requisite courage and integrity to make it so. Consider, for example, the events of a similar nature that transpired in the lives of Apostles Peter and Paul. Early on, both denied Christ on a number of occasions only to be used later by God to deliver his message to mankind more powerfully than they ever could have hoped to achieve in the absence of those experiences. The reason appears to be simple. Their denials, when recognized by these men for the horrible mistakes they were, ultimately led to their recognition of their own human frailties and weaknesses, which, in turn, led to their being appropriately humbled before the God they worshipped. Not until they had been brought to such a state of humility, however, were they truly ready to be used by their God more effectively than they ever would have been otherwise. In short, although those particular mistakes in their lives could have been a curse, they ultimately were used by God to produce tremendous blessings in the lives not only of the Apostles but also in the lives of all those who were eventually touched by them.

In this regard, I hope Mel sees this same opportunity he has now been afforded. Like Peter and Paul, if he has the courage and integrity first to assume a position of humility, he just might find that he has been prepared by that same God to be a conduit for tremendous blessings to be showered not only on him, but on all of the millions of people around the world whose hearts and minds only Mel now has the ability to reach with a message. What greater opportunity could be heard knocking at the door of any man? The question that remains is whether Mel will be willing to open that door and embrace this great opportunity. Regardless of whether he does or not, there exists one fact of which we can be fairly certain: It is not likely that this opportunity will either linger or knock again. Right now the decision is Mel’s and the time for him to make it is now. Should he delay, sadly for him the opportunity will soon pass away and be forever lost. (Cliff Nichols is an attorney practicing criminal defense in Santa Monica. He may be contacted at either (310) 917-1083, or www.cliffnicholslaw.com. You may join his blog at www.thedailystand.com.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 2, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080206.pdf?ref=smdp.com)