And what a story. The first thing the drew me in was disbelief. What? Humanity sins but it's God's son who pays the price? I tried to imagine Father saying to me, 'Piscine, a lion slipped into the llama pen today and killed a black buck. Last week two of them ate the camel. The week before it was painted storks and grey herons. And who's to say for sure who snacked on our golden agouti? The situation has become intolerable. Something must be done. I have decided that the only way the lions can atone for their sins is if I feed you to them.'
'Yes, Father, that would be the right and logical thing to do. Give me a moment to wash up.'
'Hallelujah, my son.'
'Hallelujah, Father.'
What a downright weird story. What a peculiar psychology."
Life of Pi, Yann Martel Page 76
Pi ends up going a second time to listen to the priest and once again is told stories from the bible, and also the Story of Jesus. The Story of the Passion. He is confused, why would a god die? Death is not for gods but for mortals. He finds this idea of Gods son dying very disturbing, very "peculiar". In the end he chooses to believe and becomes a Christian. Now I know that you who have read the story are going to tell me he is also a Hindu and a Muslim. Yes, he did decide that he wished to follow all three, however, the Christian Story stood out to him because it was different. Gods son died. And he died at the hands of those he was saving, saving them from their sins against him.
My Thoughts:
Pi is blown away by the fact that Jesus, and therefore God, because Jesus is God, dies. This is something that I have grown up hearing and therefore am fairly used to the idea; our God dies in order that justice may be served and we are saved from our sinful nature. From his (Pi's) perspective as a Hindu boy this is very wrong. God's don't DIE. Other Gods experience adversity, reversals of fortune and treachery (Yann Martel) etc. but they do not DIE. They are not humiliated. The God of the Christians however did. Now only did he die, he chose to die because he knew it was how he could save us, mere human beings. Our God cares enough about us to do what no other god in history has done. He died for US. He loved/loves and cared about the people he rules and did something that is outrageous and to many, ridiculous. He died. It blew Pi's mind. Why does it not blow mine? Am I to accustomed to my religion that it no longer surprises and delights me? That I no longer dwell on the mystery of grace and redemption? Of God's justice and how he saved us? Pi was so en-trawled that he believed the Story, along with the others, but still, it was the fact that our God died that caused him to be unable to get Jesus out of his head. It was the reason that he decided to also believe in Jesus. Now, I don't agree with him at all, that you can be part of three religious groups, but his perspective, that of a Hindu boy with no Christian background, made me think. I need to meditate on the basic truths of my faith more. Sometimes you learn things in interesting places
On another note, it is a great book and I would recommend giving it a read.
Peace
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