Theme Of God In Dostoevsky's Things Fall Apart
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Contrary to the gods presented in Things Fall Apart, God was presented in Dostoevsky’s novel as the all powerful and omnipresent God of love and forgiveness, much like God’s image that Christians know of. He sacrificed his only son, Jesus, who had died at the cross for humanity’s salvation. He is regarded as the absolute truth and whoever accepts Him will join Him in His kingdom where there is no more suffering and only joy. Father Zossima once spoke about the infinite love that God has while healing and blessing the peasants. He said that God’s love is too great for a human mind to comprehend. He talked about how there is no sin greater than God’s love and that He should not be feared for as long as they repent their sins, they will be forgiven:
“…If only your penitence fail not, God will forgive all. There is no sin, and there can be no sin on all the earth, which the Lord will not forgive to the truly repentant! Man cannot commit a sin so great as to exhaust the infinite love of God. Can there be a sin which could exceed the love of God? Think only of repentance, continual repentance, but dismiss fear altogether. Believe that God loves you as you cannot conceive; that He loves you with your sin, in your sin. It has been said of old that over one repentant sinner there is more joy in heaven than over ten righteous men. . . If I, a sinner, even as you are, am tender with you and have pity on you, how much more will God. . .” (Dostoevsky 97-98) While Things Fall Apart,