Sometimes a drawing starts with a word or an idea.  Then, I spend some time thinking about the visuals that characterize the meaning for me.

Redemption is one of those drawings.  

A good friend asked if I believed in redemption.  As a person who was raised Methodist but as an adult does not practice, I’m struggle with the Christian idea of redemption. 

Christian teaching say that salvation is by grace through faith. There’s nothing you did, or ever can do, to deserve it. Salvation is a free gift from God. All you have to do is receive it! In other words, it’s a matter of belief that you are forgiven and without sin and that belief is enough to wipe the slate clean. 

However, in the same breath Mathew 19:24 states: “Jesus said: And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

So, does that mean it is no longer difficult for a rich man to get into heaven because Jesus died for our sins?  See? A bit of a conundrum.

Life as Arc

A quick search on Google will tell you that a redemption arc is a story where a character goes through a series of obstacles and challenges to make amends for something bad they have done. The most common way this happens in entertainment is when a character who is a villain in the beginning of a story later becomes a ‘good’ character by the end. 

We often see that although the choice to become a hero may take a moment; it is a process. We see these characters struggle with becoming this new version of who they want to be. They stumble, but they keep going

The Hero Within

Most of us aren’t actually villains, despite how much shame or remorse we carry with us; we’re just people with complex drives, compulsions and emotional baggage. This is the nature of being human.  

In 1949 Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero With a Thousand Faces in which, he outlines the 12 steps to “ The Hero’s Journey” 

The idea is simple, the main character, a normal, flawed person is faced with some challenge; perhaps a call to adventure that takes him out of his normal every day life. He faces challenges, temptations and set backs before there is a revelation or transformation. The everyday hero finds the strength of character to persevere on his quest and ultimately succeeds returning home a changed man. I find it easier to visualize this by remembering the ups and downs Frodo faces in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien. 

Second Chances 

As humans we are all capable of making a poor decision – but we are fully capable of moving beyond those decisions and allow ourselves to not be held hostage by it. We all have choices to make. Sometimes those choices are difficult but necessary in our personal evolution.

We too can transform ourselves by simply living our life. Personally, I find  that creating goals and facing the challenges and obstacles that come my way help me evolve slowly over time.

In closing, have a little faith in yourself.  As the bird in the drawing, we too can see the light – and let it change us.