A picture of Grace

I'm watching The Mission. This movie has the best picture of grace I have ever seen. Rodrigo Mendoza is a Spanish mercenary, slave trader and murder in South America. He killed native indians and sold hundreds into slavery. One day in a rage he killed his own brother.

A priest asks him if he has the courage work out his penance. He chooses as his method of suffering toward repentance to carry his own armor tied behind him, up the mountain amid steep waterfalls. For miles, he trudges falling beneath his load. Finally, he and a group of priests make up the waterfall where he is faced with the violent tribe of indians from whom he stole, enslaved and killed.

A young indian man runs up to him with his weapon drawn and anger in his face. With his knife at Rodrigo's throat, the man suddenly changes. He moves his knife away from the vulnerable spot between life and death. He moves his knife to the rope tying this man to his slavery, to his armor. He cuts the rope and sends the armor sailing into the river. Rodrigo weeps as the community comes around him and embraces him.

The ones who had suffered the most at the hands of this man, were the ones who offered life, hope, grace, when they could have given death. GRACE! this is truly a picture of grace.