MEDITATION TIPS — 4th Sunday of Lent,
March 30, 2025

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” (Luke 15:18)

　The image of the father welcoming back his prodigal son who acknowledged his sin and returned is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible, showing God’s unconditional love in accepting repentant sinners. However, the presence of the elder brother in this story makes it complex. In fact, the problem of sin is intricate, and considering it requires not only the younger brother but also the elder brother. The younger brother immediately acknowledges his sin, but the elder brother considers himself a righteous person and views his prodigal brother, who squandered his inheritance, as no better than dead. His sin lies there, but he cannot understand it.

　Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” is a masterpiece novel that asks the timeless question, “What is sin?” The protagonist, Raskolnikov, dropped out of university’s law faculty due to unpaid tuition and lived confined in an attic room. He held a self-righteous belief that he was a special being. That is, he believed that there are ordinary and extraordinary people. Extraordinary people can transcend morality and law, and if necessary, they can even kill. He considered himself extraordinary. Therefore, he plotted to kill an old pawnbroker, whom he considered the most harmful and “lice-like” in society, believing that the money she had accumulated should be used for the benefit of society. However, after committing the murder, he was tormented by a constant stream of fear and delusions, experiencing mental derangement and remaining in a coma in his attic room for three days.

　According to his theory, an extraordinary person should not feel remorse even if they sacrifice others, but in reality, his mind and body screamed from the guilt of his past crime. This vividly depicts a human being who draws up ideals in their mind but is stunned by their own powerlessness when faced with reality the moment they take action. It is then that he meets Sonya. She possessed deep faith in God and a strong spirit of self-sacrifice, but her family was in dire poverty, and she supported them by becoming a prostitute.

　She strongly urges Raskolnikov to acknowledge his sin, but there is a significant gap in their understanding of sin. Raskolnikov confesses his crime, expecting Sonya to forgive him, but Sonya, with her deep faith in God, urges him to recognize his sin and atone for it, wanting to bear his sin with him and save him. Raskolnikov cannot understand her, and she cries out, “At least cross yourself and pray just once!” He makes the sign of the cross outwardly, but in his heart, he does not acknowledge his sin.

　He eventually confesses and is sent to a prison in Siberia. Even there, he continued to believe that he had only confessed because he could not bear his guilt. One day, he fell ill and had a nightmare. In this nightmare, humanity was infected by an unknown pathogen. Once infected, everyone believed that “only their own convictions were absolutely correct,” and eventually, they could no longer trust each other, leading to mutual killings, the collapse of society, and finally, famine and the destruction of humanity. After waking up from the nightmare and fully recovering, Raskolnikov reunited with Sonya, who visited the prison. He held onto her outstretched hand and embraced her knees, weeping. It was then that she realized Raskolnikov had finally been reborn.

　It was the elder brother of the prodigal son, who believed himself to be righteous, who was infected with the unknown pathogen that made people believe “only their own convictions were absolutely correct,” the same pathogen we are all in great danger of being infected with.

　Raskolnikov, indulging in delusions in his attic room, overlaps with the image of modern people confined and isolated in the SNS spaces displayed on their smartphone screens. However, SNS is a massive device that manipulates us into worrying about the wrong things. What is important is genuine connection and dialogue with the people around us, and Raskolnikov gradually regained his true self through his encounter with Sonya.

　In this information society, knowledge can be instantly acquired from anywhere. However, the true wisdom to live life cannot be obtained without directly interacting with living people. It is something that resides within each individual as a way of life.

 　　　　　(Contribution by Father Yutaka Akabae)