Yesterday was Groundhog Day so I watched the classic movie Groundhog Day, which I hadn’t seen in years.  The universal message of Groundhog Day is that individuals with free will can choose goodness. It may take time, but it’s the only path to redemption.

In the movie, a weatherman (Bill Murray) finds himself inexplicably living the same day over and over again.  After first taking advantage of his predicament for selfish advantage, eventually he evolves into getting it right through kindness.

Although he is able to re-do his day, resulting in better outcomes for everyone, the one result he can’t change is the certainty of death for a homeless man, Pop.   In every version of that relived day in the movie, the character Pop dies at the end of the day.  Though he’s confused that this isn’t changing, he ER nurse explains that “it was just his time.”  Nothing changes that.