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Atonement - (No spoilers)
Feb. 4th, 2008 12:39 pmOn Sunday afternoon, my husband and I decided to go and see the movie, Atonement. Set in WWII England, I figured it would appeal to my hubby the anglophile. Going to the theater was a great plan – it got me out of the house while not involving TOO much moving around/hustle and bustle, as I just didn’t feel up for the exertion. As for Giley, it also provided a much-needed getaway, which he really needs right now as well.
What a brilliant flick!
One of the points that it illustrated in a painfully sad sorta way, is that sometimes in life, bad things happen to good people – they just do. And if so much as one little thing were different – a pawn moved at a different time or to a different square, a completely different story might unfold before our eyes.
I have to wonder about karma sometimes. What exactly is the point of doing the right thing when life can be such a crapshoot? We all know the sad-but-true adage, “Nice guys finish last.” So why be nice? Christians would have us believe that the actions that one takes in life will stand as testament during judgment day, or when standing before the pearly gates. And if buying into the notion of eternal paradise in heaven, or eternal torment in hell works for you – great. Then there is the notion of karma. Eastern philosophy teaches that the experiences of life simply cannot all be learned within a single lifetime. Thus, reincarnation allows the soul to continue to grow and to continue to learn through each lifetime. Karma, the eternal balancer, grants reward for good behavior, and punishment for bad behavior, until the scale is balanced. When such karma happens is up to divine powers. Thus, the reward may not come until a much later time than the good behavior. But… what if that too is not correct? What if life is simply what is here now, and it is purely temporary? Good, bad, indifferent, does any of it actually matter?
I cannot really explain why I feel the need to “do the right thing.” I’m not always successful at it, nor do I think I ever will be. Yet, for whatever reason, it just seems like an important thing to do. The “right” thing is seldom the “easiest,” thing. Yet, in some universal sense, I have the feeling that the consequences of another choice would be far reaching in a terrible way.
What guides you to do or not do the right thing?
What a brilliant flick!
One of the points that it illustrated in a painfully sad sorta way, is that sometimes in life, bad things happen to good people – they just do. And if so much as one little thing were different – a pawn moved at a different time or to a different square, a completely different story might unfold before our eyes.
I have to wonder about karma sometimes. What exactly is the point of doing the right thing when life can be such a crapshoot? We all know the sad-but-true adage, “Nice guys finish last.” So why be nice? Christians would have us believe that the actions that one takes in life will stand as testament during judgment day, or when standing before the pearly gates. And if buying into the notion of eternal paradise in heaven, or eternal torment in hell works for you – great. Then there is the notion of karma. Eastern philosophy teaches that the experiences of life simply cannot all be learned within a single lifetime. Thus, reincarnation allows the soul to continue to grow and to continue to learn through each lifetime. Karma, the eternal balancer, grants reward for good behavior, and punishment for bad behavior, until the scale is balanced. When such karma happens is up to divine powers. Thus, the reward may not come until a much later time than the good behavior. But… what if that too is not correct? What if life is simply what is here now, and it is purely temporary? Good, bad, indifferent, does any of it actually matter?
I cannot really explain why I feel the need to “do the right thing.” I’m not always successful at it, nor do I think I ever will be. Yet, for whatever reason, it just seems like an important thing to do. The “right” thing is seldom the “easiest,” thing. Yet, in some universal sense, I have the feeling that the consequences of another choice would be far reaching in a terrible way.
What guides you to do or not do the right thing?
