Justification and Grace

1987: Correlates to the point in, "The River" that the sorrow and sins of people can be erased when they are sunk into the river. The river serves as a place to alleviate people of their sufferings. It's a new start. It's the river that holds sin, moving towards the Kingdom of God to be washed away.

1988: Harry takes part in "new life" by adopting the name Bevel. It is when he becomes this new person where his conversion and new understanding of religion come into play. He goes off with Mrs. Connin to become a member of the church through Baptism.

1989: Harry is converted when he is first led to believe that Jesus Christ is his savior and not a term for swearing. He is then "completely" converted when he is baptized by Father Bevel.

1990 Connects to the scene where Bevel is "free from fault" when he frees the pig, but it is done so because the boys told him not because he desired to do so. This is an example where his action is justified because his motivations weren't led by sinful desires.

1991 Connects to the idea of accepting God when Harry accepts the idea that Jesus Christ created him.

1992: The Passion of Christ connects to the idea that Harry sacrifices his old way of life for the new religious position that he took on with the event of Baptism.

1993: The cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom is seen when Harry submits to the will that he be baptized. He allows the preacher to baptize him by cooperating with the preacher, but he also cooperates with the spiritual relationship that is supposed to develop from that sacrament.

1994: God's love is manifested through Mrs. Connin's will to step in as a maternal figure for Harry. Jesus' love was seen when he lent out his care for the lame, sick, marginalized, etc. Respectively, Mrs. Connin does the same thing for Harry.

1995: Connects to the idea that Harry's inner spiritual self is alive once he is baptized. That marks the moment where the Holy Spirit can work his influence upon him.

1996: Harry becomes an adopted son of God once he is baptized by the preacher because he becomes a part of the Kingdom of God through baptism.

1997: Harry's prior learning about Jesus being his creator can now be affirmed once he becomes baptized because he is now fully through with the process of being a dedicated child of God.

1998: God is Mr. Paradise in the story. He reveals himself to Harry, but his appearance is not one in which Harry can decipher the separation of a higher power, and simply a boulder. He gave Harry protection while he was in the river, even though Harry had no idea

1999: Harry going into the water symbolizes him being sanctified and healed of sin to receive grace.

2000: The habitual grace is seen when Harry wants to go back to experience the baptism again. He wants to relive the sanctifying grace again because of the truth he's trying to find.

2001: Mrs. Connin's preparation of man is seen when she prepares to take Harry to be baptized to receive God's grace through baptism.

2002: Harry searches for truth by wanting to go back to the river to re-play the baptism. He wants to know the real significance beyond the practical visual that he experiences. So he goes back to the river to see if he can find the truth.

2003: Harry being baptized was another person in the human race who needed to be one with God. He marks as one less person who is on their path to the kingdom.

2004: Harry's graces of state which are his parents will make it harder for him to implement his newfound spiritual self

2005: Harry goes back to the river because he is in search of the "truth", but "grace escapes our experiences" making it hard for him to rely on his feelings to prove that he is saved. His feelings will only trick him, but will not give him what he's looking for. However, he will be able to the proof of God's grace through the blessings that God presents.