未来人

This post has somewhat spoilers for certain anime series. You've been warned.

For a large portion of this evening I was watching anime with one of my housemates. It is now one of my favourite anime series. It is called Steins;Gate. It started off really weird and confusing, but now it's all coming together and I'm really seeing the value in everything that had happened in the first few episodes.

One of the key elements in this anime is the concept of time travel. The anime opens it's first episode with a monologue about the difference between infinite and finite and from there out we start the see the effects that playing with time can have on material, relationships, and the world.

The idea to be able to go back and fix mistakes arose. If you could, would you? Have you heard of the butterfly effect? If you make action small change in the past it could have huge effects on the future. What if you knew fixing that mistake would cause more trouble for others? Would you still do it?

This is a concept that I've encountered before. I've seen my fair share of time travelers (未来人 miraijin) in anime.

In 'The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' there is a time traveler who has come back to interact with the main character which could have huge lasting impacts. Some of her future contemporaries say they should make an action and see what happens, others are much more cautious and would rather observe.

In 'Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica', for the sake of saving those she loves, one of the characters has gone back in time again and again, but merely causes that person more and more pain and suffering because they are forced to relive the ordeal.

And here in Steins;Gate we see a very similar thing, except a lot more drawn out and time does move forward bit by bit.

But one thing that these characters can do, with time traveling abilities, is to try something and if it goes wrong, go back and try something different. If the outcome is still wrong, they can fix it.

I see this as something which would be very helpful to have.

I do not like making mistakes. If I could go back and fix them, I feel like I really would want to. But additionally, when I don't know what to do to move forward, what decision to make, it'd be great to be able to know that I could make one decision and then if it is a mistake I can go back and make a different decision.

But I can't.

I feel like I need to do something.

But I can't.

What if it's a mistake?

...

I know I shared this a while ago, but it's still one of my favourite short films: "Ctrl Z" http://youtu.be/XvvimYZScN0.

'You can't undo mistakes you have made, you can only repent and make up for them. So don't let that make you live in fear. That itself is a mistake.'

'Perfect love drives out all fear'

Hmmmmmmmm.

I pray that God would give me a heart that earnestly seeks after His plans, that trusts in His plans, and is willing to turn from selfish ambition and to follow humbly even on a road of sacrifice.

May we live lives honoring to God as we travel forward in time unto eternity.