What would I say to Mel Gibson?

I just noticed that Mel Gibson was in the news today. The 53-year-old movie star will be a parent again in about seven months. His 39-year-old girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, is pregnant. My wife commented, "What's happened to Mel?"
We met Mel at a premier showing of "The Passion of Christ" at Willow Creek Community Church several years ago. As he spoke to about 5,000 pastors and church leaders, he was so passionate, (pardon the pun), about the movie and what it represented. It was so much a part of his life that making the movie was like his ministry. No, it was his ministry at the time! But since that night, Mel has had a series of mishaps ... D.U.I, paparazzi sightings with other women, messy divorce, now a father-to-be with someone to whom he's not married. It's seems that in some ways, he's trying to distance himself from being the Hollywood "religious freak."
So, what's happened to Mel? My answer may be totally wrong, but still sound advice for everyone doing some form of ministry. I think that Mel might have suffered from unconventional ministry-meltdown. "Unconventional" in the sense that Mel was not part of a paid staff serving in formal Christian ministry, but he was making a contribution to Christian cinema history. And I've always felt that it was the most factual account of Jesus' physical suffering. Without having the benefit of centuries of crucifixes to stare at on Sunday mornings, his movie inspired a bunch of Protestant Christians to take Christ's sufferings seriously. I remember our Lenten services being much more somber than in previous years. Mel's movie gave us so much to talk about as Protestants who still keep the Lenten midweek worship observances.
Doing any ministry is tough. Jesus said we need to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. He knew that ministry required a unique combination of compassion and toughness. In addition a Christian, or especially a Christian leader, needs to be above reproach. While we are trying to share the light of Christ with others, we take heat from those who are opposed to us. The Apostle Paul was always taking heat from people he tried to minister to. It seems that everywhere he went he was stirring up trouble, but it was "trouble of the good kind," opposition to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But the Apostle warned Christian leaders to always watch their behavior and to walk in the light of Jesus Christ. He warned against falling back into the "multi-traps" of worldliness, feeding your ego, or resisting the devil who is always looking for someone to devour.
Ministry is tough! It's hard to do ministry and walk righteously at the same time. It can only be done properly with the help of the Holy Spirit. I would want to say to Mel: "You've been duped by the flesh, the world, and the enemy. It's time to turn over a new leaf, and it's never too late to turn back to the passion for Christ you once had. Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, and allow him to take over your day as you surrender yourself, and each part of the day to Him. When temptations come, take every thought captive to the mind of Christ, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk the right path. Every day has its challenges, but it also offers us the opportunity to make conscious decisions to follow Christ. Hang in there! You can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit."

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Rog