An Island Meditation on Sin and Reparation
Photo by Juan Encalada on Unsplash Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you. -Amos 5:14 It's Ash Wednesday. Lent 2019 is upon us. We now have 40 days in which to reflect upon how closely our thoughts, actions, motivations and priorities are aligned with the faith Jesus Christ handed on to us. We have this time, too, to do penance for the discipline of our souls and to make reparations for our past sins. As we undertake these endeavors, Ostrov ( The Island ), a 2006 Russian film, may help. It's look at sin, forgiveness, repentance, reparation and atonement provide sufficient fodder for the entire season. Despite the limits of the medium, Ostrov beautifully portrays how widely and deeply both our sins affect the people against whom we sin and our virtues affect those we help. To this end, the film asks two questions: "Why did Cain kill Abel?" and "What is the appropriate Christian resp...