What I have learnt from the Full Metal Alchemist...

People cannot gain anything without giving something in return.
To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.
That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange.

- excerpt from popular Japanese anime; Full Metal Alchemist (FMA)

FMA is set in a world where things can be materialized almost instantly through a technique called alchemy, but the catch is something equivalent must be exchanged. For example, if you want to make paper you need wood, or in the case of diamonds you might need coal. :) But there are some things which are forbidden, one of which is to materialized humans. And that was precisely what the Elric Brothers (the protagonists of the story) did - they tried to revive their beloved long-dead mother, as a result - Edward lost an arm and a leg while Alphonsus lost his whole body. Oh by the way, their mother never came back to life and you might have guessed, that's how FMA started. :)

FMA has become my favorite anime to date, not only because of it's fresh plot but also because of the Christian elements I see in it via my Christian "looking-glass". :)

Here is what I have learnt:

1. Understanding Sin Through Equivalent Exchange
   We know that sin is our direct disobedience to God, but do we also realised that sin requires something in return? That "something" is our freedom. As Jesus says: "everyone who sins is a slave to sin." (John 8:34, NIV)
   
   
2. Understanding Salvation Through Equivalent Exhange
   From point number one we are able to infer that we are all slaves to sin because "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NIV) Therefore we are seperated from Godl, for "[n]o one can serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24) ; we cannot be both slaves of sin and servants of God. God knows this, so He sent Jesus who has no sin to die for us to pay for the sins of the whole of mankind - past, present and future.
   
   Question: How is this Equivalent Exchange?
   
   Jesus is able to pay for the sins of Mankind because He is fully human, and the reason why the value of His death is able to extend from the past to the future is because of the fact that He is also fully God; who is infinite in value.
   
   Through this, Jesus has bought the whole of Mankind freedom. So technically, believers or not we belong to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:20) But of course Jesus gave us the freedom of choice to believe in Him, so until we claim the "ticket to freedom" (i.e. believe in Jesus) we are still slaves to sin.
   
   
3. The Value of the Human Life
   Although it was not mentioned in FMA why alchemy cannot be used to revive humans, but through my Christian view-point I see the reason lies in the inherent priceless value of the human life. This priceless value is not only attributed by the fact that we were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) but also further confirmed by the infinite price Jesus paid through His death.

See? Cartoons are good for you :) Hehe.