Free will - blessing, or bane? Or both?
I have just finished watching City of Angels for the first time. Not sure what made me want to watch it all of a sudden but it's probably got something to do with that discussion we had at Guan's place on Friday night. I believe in the existence of angels, of course, though I do not agree with everything the movie had to say about angels. But what this movie made me think about was the gift of Free Will, which also sort of tied in with another separate discussion I had with Chuan and Heidir the other night after dinner (it was great, guys! Both the chat and the dinner!). In making decisions as a Christian, during certain times of despair and deep confusion the thought has once or twice crossed my mind - why do I put myself through so much trouble? Why am I making things harder for myself? When it could be so much easier, and less painful.. But at the end of the day, the peace I get from taking the harder, less travelled path made it all worth it.
"Everything is permissible- but not everything is beneficial". 1 Corinthians 10:23
"Everything is permissible- but not everything is beneficial". 1 Corinthians 10:23
Labels: God, silverscreen, thinkingoutloud
posted by may at 11:33 PM
4 Comments:
Hee, don't know what CoA is all about..
i was listening to this CD yday and the speaker said that Free Will actually gives us the ability to choose AGAINST our feelings TOWARDS what we truly want (which might not necessarily be what we FEEL or THINK we want).
So.. i'd say free will is a blessing if it's submitted to God (who happens to be perfect and in control - the degree to which we believe that is another matter). And unfortunately, it also can be made a bane if it's submitted to our own sad souls and deceptive hearts.
(and here, we would deceive ourselves into thinking that submitting to our our souls is "freedom" and submitting to the Holy Spirit is not.)
But at the end of the day, i reckon "free" will is in essence a submission - we choose who to submit it to, i guess.
debdeb: heee... u've just articulated EXACTLY what i myself feel about free will! lol. (= the title "free will - blessing, or bane?" wasn't so much of a question, really... it was the point i was trying to make, that really, who/what u submit to is what makes it a blessing, or a bane.
oh and btw, in City of Angels, the angel Seth (Nicolas Cage) fell in love with a mortal (Meg Ryan) and chose to 'fall' to earth so that he could be with her, in other words he gave up his immortality.. but in the end (WARNING! this is where people who havent seen CoA and are planning to see it, should STOP READING! *spoiler ahead*), after being with him for only a day she dies in an accident. and when his angel-friend asked him if he thinks he'd made the right choice, he said he'd rather have one touch of her hand, one smell of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, than an eternity without it. all nice and touching but hmmmm..... lol
Hi May. I did watch CoA some time ago. I found it to be a very disturbing movie. Yes, I think the writer of the script did want to highlight on the whole issue of free-will and love. About how its really all worth it, even if it means just for a moment to be with the whom you love (human perspective). Yet, this movie troubled my spirit. I guess it is because the writer has no clue of how wonderful it would truly be to be in the Presence of God (the true source of love!). His temptation to focus on himself and his own needs has been the real course of his downfall. In a way, i feel sad for Nicolas Cage. He has missed the whole goal of his service. I just wonder what would God has to say about this movie?
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