On God's Will

After the end of The Sparrow, Emilio Sandoz seems broken and abandoned by God. We might hold out a hope that God works in mysterious ways... but mostly, it seems like he is a cruel comedian, making every well-intentioned action into a horrible joke.

Children of God starts out with much the same message. Emilio backs away from God and religion. He immerses himself in his linguistic work, leaves the Jesuit order, and abandons celibacy for love. We see Emilio becoming happier and more whole as he secularizes his life.

But then Giuliani and Carlo interfere - or is it really God interfering? Giuliani wants to send Emilio back to Rakhat for the good of Catholicism as a whole, to heal the breach between the Pope and the Jesuit organization, but also because he still believes it is the best thing to do for Emilio himself. The involvement of both Giuliani as Father General and the Pope, as God's representatives, seem to imply God wills Emilio go go back to Rakhat. As for Carlo? Well, God uses all as tools and works in mysterious ways...

And Emilio does seem to have a purpose in Rakhat. Sofia is still alive and, with Supaari, has been a driving force behind the Runa rebellion (ironic, isn't it, that two non-Runa should play such pivotal roles...) But Emilio's role seems to be to heal the breach that's formed - between Jana'ata and Runa, and between mother and child. He is the bridge that allows the reform Jana'ata and the triumphant Runa to open negotiations; it is to Emilio that Isaac gives his music of God, the harmonies of Jana'ata and Runa and human DNA. As Isaac says to Emilio, "It's God's music. you came here so I would find it" (page 427).

So perhaps all of Emilio's sufferings and trials were all a part of God's plan for revealing to his children their unity.