Two Thumbs Up

One of the most striking parts of the "God for Dummies" panel discussion was the answers to the question of atonement.  Now that's not the word we used - we asked how does a person get right with God in each religion when they realized they had blown it.  That's what atonement is all about.  Every answer from the panelist (except the representative of Christianity the esteemed Jason Collins) talked about the need for repentance and acts of repentance and making restitution.  Which is all good and appropriate but there were questions I wanted to ask but since it wasn't a debate I couldn't do that.   Questions like - Can human beings make amends for this sins? Is remorse the same thing as repentance? And when do you know that you've undone the damage your sin caused? What if it's not possible to be undone?

Then last week I watched an amazing movie called "Atonement."  I will tell you this movie is not the usual thing that gets served up these days.  This really is an adult movie in the very best sense of the word - not for sex or violence - but because it stirs some real grown up thoughts.  The main character of the movie commits an act that causes us to wrestle with these questions I just mentioned.  I believe it is logical to conclude that the character experienced both remorse, and eventual repentance, and an attempt, in the end, to atone for the horrible betrayal and injustice that was committed.

In the end we are forced to struggle with the fact that there really isn't anything a human can do to atone for their own sins, however badly they'd like to do it, or feel they must. We must have an Atoner to accomplish that for us.  The more I've thought about this movie and my questions at the panel, the more thankful I am that God has provided an atoner for me. 

If you ever need a slap in the head to clear your brain from the stupidity of "all human beings being basically good" or the junk that our world sells us that says "everything will turn out alright in the end if you try hard enough to atone, whether or not you repent of your wrong doing and turn to God to allow Him to atone for you", this is the movie for you.