I just finished watching "Redemption" which is the prequel for season seven of 24 with Keifer Sutherland as "Jack Bauer". While I missed it on network TV, I've found http://www.fancast.com/ and was able to watch the entire program on my computer via this cool site that is sponsored by Comcast, Hulu and assorted commercial advertisers. Fancast will likely be one my greatest leisure time activities in the New Year.The hour-an-a-half movie is full of the standard cynical look at US foreign policy with Jack Bauer and a few other rough-and-ready para-military types trying to save the world with a little honor.
I'm a 24 fan so I enjoyed the prequel and will look forward to watching Series Seven. At the same time I was somewhat amused to see this concept of "redemption" wrapped around the idea of paying for one's sins by various good works. The program opens up, for example, with Jack Bauer working with one of his friends, who in the past also fully involved in covert ops for the government, in a children's school in Africa. Both men are paying for their past sins through these not-so-random acts of mercy only to have their charitable work with the children interrupted by the outbreak of war.
The fact that the war appears to have been financed by rouge business men from the United States proves to be an interesting start to Series Seven and I'm sure we'll see lots of action in the following twenty-four hours that time frame for the season.
Here's my sermon-in-a-minute: Redemption via your own charitable acts will never be as fulfilling as you hope, will not last you for this lifetime and not provide you with a get-into-heaven pass in the next lifetime. The only hope for mankind and the only redemption that is available, without fail, is a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.
It will however, be a good season for 24.
