1 July 2025

The film, ‘The Mission’, is all about the missionary endeavours of the Jesuits in seventeenth century Latin America. Rodrigo is a slave-trader who kills his brother. Through the ministry of the Jesuit priest, Father Gabrielle, he becomes a Christian.

In order to repent his evil past, he decides to carry a heavy burden on his back whilst making the arduous journey to the mission-station. It’s a long and dangerous journey up a precipitous cliff! Watching his suffering is unbearable and, at one point, one of the priests angrily looses Rodrigo’s burden and throws it down the hill.

Without saying a word, Rodrigo retrieves his burden and continues the journey. Later on, the Jesuits meet some of the tribesmen and one of them instantly recognises the slave-trader! With knife in hand, he approaches Rodrigo to threaten him, to wreck revenge, to kill?

In the film, there is a pregnant pause which is broken by the tribesman’s reaction. He looks at the slave-trader suffering under the weight of his burden and with his knife in hand, he cuts him free! This time, Rodrigo doesn’t recover the burden but falls to the ground weeping.

For one whom he had tried to enslave with all the cruelty and greed at his disposal has mercifully come to I, removed his burden of guilt and set him free! It’s a beautiful moment which powerfully illustrates a quality of love which is undeserved, unconditional and, thereby, liberating.

Throughout the gospels, there are these dramatic moments where the beauty and power of God’s love brings a liberating forgiveness, healing and joy. Remember Zacchaeus. Remember the woman taken in adultery. Remember the repentant thief. ‘Christ has set us free!’ says St. Paul. ‘If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’

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