However, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the theme of the film. Namely: choice. Winter Soldier wonders whether giving humanity a choice is worth the risk of losing security.
This is a question that I have often wondered myself. Is giving humanity the choice to do evil necessary? Would it not be better to avoid suffering, even if it ended up in creating humanity robots?
This is a question that theologians also must ask themselves. Why did God give humanity the ability to turn against him in the Garden of Eden? If God was all loving, why even give us a choice? One might compare this to holding chocolate in front of a dieting man. Why even tempt him with the option? The answer is a simple one:
Love.
Love requires choice. Robots cannot love. Love is not mere chemistry in the mind. That is infatuation or instinct. Love is making a conscious choice for the betterment of the other person. And, in order for love to exist, there must be the option for the one who is loved to walk away from the lover. God, in order to show his love and be loved by humanity, had to give humanity the option not to love him. If there is no choice, then tyranny is all that remains.
The majesty of God's grace, however, is that not only one choice is offered, but many. If only one test was given, then all of us would have failed at the Garden. However, God gives us multiple chances for redemption. This, too, is shown in Winter Soldier (to some extent). Captain America encounters his enemy and, instead of destroying him and thereby saving his life, he chooses instead to risk his own life in an effort to redeem his enemy (much like Luke in Star Wars).
What are your thoughts? Did you watch Captain America: Winter Soldier? What did you think?
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