The movie, Memento, was released in 2000, and is now available in DVD or viewing on some cable TV channels. I read about it, but have not actually seen the movie.

Memento is described as a psychological thriller. The main character, Leonard, suffers from antegrade amnesia, the inability to form long-term memories. He can remember something for a minute, then it’s forgotten. Past memories are confined to events prior to a violent attack on himself that caused the amnesia, as well as the death of his wife. Leonard tries to find out who killed his wife, but since he cannot store new memories, he relies on photographs and hand-written notes to retain what he has learned.

The disconnect with his recent past leaves Leonard in a constant state of confusion about how he got to where he is. The film tries to give the audience a sense of his confusion. Narrative sequences, in black and white, are shown in chronological order. Interspersed are color sequences in reverse chronological order to give the viewer an appreciation of Leonard’s chaotic mental state.

I wonder how many people suffer from a spiritual form of antegrade amnesia. There is no brain injury, but they are anxious because they are unaware of having forgotten who God is (Job 8:13). They look at themselves and see something is wrong, but cannot remember how they got to that point, or what remedy is needed. There is a blank space in their memory, between the past when they were following Jesus, and the present where they sit in a recliner.

They have amnesia regarding God’s warning of forgetting Him and following other gods (Deuteronomy 8:11, 19). Gone is the memory of pleasing the Lord by doing good for other people (Hebrews 13:16). They don’t recall sharing the gospel (Mark 16:15).

Looking for clues, they find a photo of their baptism inside a dusty Bible. Another photo sits on the mantle showing them playing golf on Easter Sunday. An old prayer card reciting John 3:16 is in the drawer of a desk, along with yesterday’s receipt for cannabis. As clues are pieced together, they begin to realize how they got where they are.

Having gained some insight of where they are, they begin to ponder how they can fix their problem. At a God-ordained moment, someone says to them, “You can’t fix your problems, but Jesus can.” The messenger recites a verse like: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10)

No one needs to stay locked in a spiritual re-run of Memento as long as there are believers willing to help them remember who Jesus is and what he can do for them. Are you one of those believers?