This past week I received an e-mail from my girlfriend who is currently in West Africa doing a semester abroad. One day, while she and her friend were walking to the market and passed by the nearby river. As they passed by, a few local women asked if they were afraid. Without thinking, my girlfriend answered that she was not afraid. The ladies replied by stating that they were and that she should be as well. Later, my girlfriend remembered that the local people believe that there is a river goddess that takes lives by drowning people. They also believe that, in certain parts of the river, a person can be pulled under the river, stay there for a week, and then come back out of the river possessed by evil spirits. Therefore, people live in fear and avoid getting too close to the river, lest they get pulled under by the goddess.
When reading this, my, and most Americans', reaction is quick: There's no need to fear a river goddess. For me, my immediate response was pity for the people's foolishness in fearing such a thing. Indeed, for the Christian, the reaction to not fear should be our response. The Bible constantly tells us to live in courage. However, after reading the e-mail from my girlfriend, I realized that my reaction was not entirely the right one. I, and probably most of you, based the reason for not fearing upon the assumption that there is no such thing as a "river goddess." Such things are just the myths of uncivilized people, right? Perhaps not so.
Such a position expresses a high level of arrogance. As I talked about in my previous posts, the Christian should realize that things like spirits and angels do exist. For all we know, there could be a river "goddess" or demon or spirit. Such an entity may not exist exactly as the natives perceive it. It may not even reside "in the river." However, who's to say that the whole area is empty and void of any unseen force. The book of Revelation reveals a world in which unseen forces of both good and evil exist. There are angels of wind, fire, and water, and likewise, malevolent forces run throughout the world.
Yet, the call to "not fear" still exists. If we cannot state with complete certainty that no such "goddess" exists, then where does that courage come from? The Bible is clear on this. For those in Christ, there is no fear of powers. Christ has triumphed over all powers, and those who "put on Christ" can stand in His strength. In the end, instead of pitying people's foolishness at believing "fairy tales," when we hear stories such as my girlfriend's, we should be grieved that they live in fear without knowing the power of Christ and his Spirit. May we have a heart of prayer for others and never neglect how much Christ has done (and continues to do) for us.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Colliding Worlds (pt 2)
Well, it has been a while since my last post in which I promised a part 2, so I'll try to remember what all I had to say. As a refresher, my experience of watching the new Harry Potter film caused me to explore the theme of parallel worlds in many modern films/shows. I suggested that one possible reason for this is that our materialistic worldview causes us to long for something more (because something more actually does exist). In this post, I want to explore another interesting theme that runs alongside that of parallel worlds.
In all of these films, I find it intriguing that, not only does a parallel world exist, but this other world also poses a threat to our world. It is a world filled with malevolent forces. In The Half Blood Prince the realm of wizards and witches is populated not only by Harry and his friends, but also by numerous forces that are set on conquest and destruction. And, in the pursuit of these goals, evil collides with our world and causes harm to those of us who are powerless in the use of magic (i.e.- the beginning of the film).
Yet, again, not only Harry Potter films exhibit this theme. Most films that feature colliding worlds portray the "other" world as a threat to our own. In The Matrix, computers have created a hostile world set on enslaving humanity. In superhero flicks, the world of the mask is not just for our beloved heroes, it is also the place for the worst kinds of villains as well. No superhero becomes popular by defeating mere bank robbers and murderers. They need a SUPER villain who pulls off super-thefts and commits super-atrocities. 9 times out of 10, alien films portray visitors from another "world" coming to earth a creating chaos and destruction (the recent film District 9 is a rare exception, although there is still great fear of the aliens.) Continued examples from countless other films could back me up here, but it is enough to state that there exists a certain fear of realms that collide with our own.
So, besides the fact that conflict makes for a good plot, why is there always such hostility from the other side? One possible reason could come from the great privileges that we have here in America. We are the most powerful empire in the world. We by and large can control world affairs. We have not actually been invaded by another country since 1812. The few attacks on home soil have been just isolated incidents and few and far between. We are the richest of the world. I could go on and on. However, these few quips illustrate that we are a people who grasp a considerable amount of control within our lives. There is little that seriously threatens us. Thus, one of our greatest fears here in America is the loss of control of the "worlds" in which we live. We dread things coming into our lives that would strip away our power and have the ability to change the worlds that we have erected. We fear helplessness.
Another question that could be asked is: Why is it that the invading forces of evil are always more powerful than those of us from the normal world? A related theme to the threatening parallel world is that we need a "savior" who understands and even participates in that other world as well. Our world needs a Harry Potter who can master magic. Gotham needs a Batman. Those trapped in the Matrix need a Neo. All of these heroes are people who somehow participate in both worlds.
Yet, film often is simply a reflection of our own lives. In an attempt to avoid helplessness, we seek the power of those realms that could threaten us. To defend ourselves from economic recessions and crashes we seek to gain the upper hand through economic knowledge. To avoid military and terrorist attacks we practice preemptive strikes. To maintain our social status, we strive after social savvy and may even search for information that can be used against others. However, the reality is that no matter how hard we try, there still exists circumstances that can bring everything down. Especially when we consider the reality of malevolent powers in this world, as I mentioned in my last post, then the clouds grow even darker. Even though several mortals can learn magic, it still requires a Harry Potter, a chosen one, to defeat the forces of evil.
As we look at the Bible, we realize our helpless situation as mortals. We cannot withstand the onslaught of evil. We need someone "on the inside" who can save us and stop evil. Yet, we desire someone who is one of us as well. Even though movies may pick up on this, they are not the first. In the Gospels we meet a man who was more than just a man. In fact, He originated in that "other world" and existed there from "the beginning." Therein lies one fascinating contrast with these films. Whereas films portray a hero rising from humanity to join the greater powers, Christianity tells the story of One beyond all powers who became a lowly man. And yet, there is where salvation springs forth.
In conclusion, Harry Potter has reminded me that there is a dark reality that surrounds us at times. So often we also become helpless to defend ourselves from these forces. We can try to stop it, but it won't be enough. In the end, we need a savior to hold back destruction. Praise be to God that we have such a Savior, and not just one from among us, but the One who came down to us.
In all of these films, I find it intriguing that, not only does a parallel world exist, but this other world also poses a threat to our world. It is a world filled with malevolent forces. In The Half Blood Prince the realm of wizards and witches is populated not only by Harry and his friends, but also by numerous forces that are set on conquest and destruction. And, in the pursuit of these goals, evil collides with our world and causes harm to those of us who are powerless in the use of magic (i.e.- the beginning of the film).
Yet, again, not only Harry Potter films exhibit this theme. Most films that feature colliding worlds portray the "other" world as a threat to our own. In The Matrix, computers have created a hostile world set on enslaving humanity. In superhero flicks, the world of the mask is not just for our beloved heroes, it is also the place for the worst kinds of villains as well. No superhero becomes popular by defeating mere bank robbers and murderers. They need a SUPER villain who pulls off super-thefts and commits super-atrocities. 9 times out of 10, alien films portray visitors from another "world" coming to earth a creating chaos and destruction (the recent film District 9 is a rare exception, although there is still great fear of the aliens.) Continued examples from countless other films could back me up here, but it is enough to state that there exists a certain fear of realms that collide with our own.
So, besides the fact that conflict makes for a good plot, why is there always such hostility from the other side? One possible reason could come from the great privileges that we have here in America. We are the most powerful empire in the world. We by and large can control world affairs. We have not actually been invaded by another country since 1812. The few attacks on home soil have been just isolated incidents and few and far between. We are the richest of the world. I could go on and on. However, these few quips illustrate that we are a people who grasp a considerable amount of control within our lives. There is little that seriously threatens us. Thus, one of our greatest fears here in America is the loss of control of the "worlds" in which we live. We dread things coming into our lives that would strip away our power and have the ability to change the worlds that we have erected. We fear helplessness.
Another question that could be asked is: Why is it that the invading forces of evil are always more powerful than those of us from the normal world? A related theme to the threatening parallel world is that we need a "savior" who understands and even participates in that other world as well. Our world needs a Harry Potter who can master magic. Gotham needs a Batman. Those trapped in the Matrix need a Neo. All of these heroes are people who somehow participate in both worlds.
Yet, film often is simply a reflection of our own lives. In an attempt to avoid helplessness, we seek the power of those realms that could threaten us. To defend ourselves from economic recessions and crashes we seek to gain the upper hand through economic knowledge. To avoid military and terrorist attacks we practice preemptive strikes. To maintain our social status, we strive after social savvy and may even search for information that can be used against others. However, the reality is that no matter how hard we try, there still exists circumstances that can bring everything down. Especially when we consider the reality of malevolent powers in this world, as I mentioned in my last post, then the clouds grow even darker. Even though several mortals can learn magic, it still requires a Harry Potter, a chosen one, to defeat the forces of evil.
As we look at the Bible, we realize our helpless situation as mortals. We cannot withstand the onslaught of evil. We need someone "on the inside" who can save us and stop evil. Yet, we desire someone who is one of us as well. Even though movies may pick up on this, they are not the first. In the Gospels we meet a man who was more than just a man. In fact, He originated in that "other world" and existed there from "the beginning." Therein lies one fascinating contrast with these films. Whereas films portray a hero rising from humanity to join the greater powers, Christianity tells the story of One beyond all powers who became a lowly man. And yet, there is where salvation springs forth.
In conclusion, Harry Potter has reminded me that there is a dark reality that surrounds us at times. So often we also become helpless to defend ourselves from these forces. We can try to stop it, but it won't be enough. In the end, we need a savior to hold back destruction. Praise be to God that we have such a Savior, and not just one from among us, but the One who came down to us.
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