I find it interesting that so many Christians shy away from violence. Face it, life is violent, the Bible is very violent and bloody... maybe even more so than any of Frank Peretti's or Ted Dekker's novels (in Monster, for example, a guy was torn limb from limb). I don't know, maybe that's exactly why Christians shy away from it... they want a break from the violence... maybe they think it's wrong to put anything violent into their minds. I don't know the answer... every mind and every heart is different.
Here's a question, because my mind just brought it up: Are we afraid of our own hearts? Maybe that is it. Maybe some people are afraid that if they read of or see anything violent, it will pour into their hearts or it will bring out the violence or fear already lurking there.
Maybe I just don't understand it... for my mind is numb to violence and fear. It no longer bothers me, at least in what I read and watch. Certainly, I would not fill my mind with something like Doomsday (a movie my parents watched alone one night, while we were asleep, which they said contained some gruesomely realistic cannibalistic scenes), that, I'd have to say, probably would bother me. Let me explain: Has any one of you stared Fear in the eyes (literally, the spirit of Fear)? Has any one here looked into a person's eyes and saw murder and bloodthirst? Maybe someone here has. I have. Many times.
Violence and fear are a part of everyday life. We should not fear it or shy from it. We should stare it down and scream at it, "You will not take me!"!! We certainly should not partake in it, but neither should we fear it every step of the way. If you continually fear and avoid violence and Fear, you will find it hunting you down, and overtaking you... I know, trust me.
I notice all the Christians fretting over Ted Dekker's mainstream novel, BoneMan's Daughters... I find it trivial and wasteful. It's a fictional character! I know he's evil, but don't waste your time!! Focus all that passion and energy into something REAL! As Christians, we need to get out, we need to speak against real violence: speak out against abusive households, against abortion (God mourns so much over what we have done to his children!), against slavery of every sort, against back-stabbing... don't waste your time over a piece of fiction!
Note: I understand I said "against abortion"... I know it's not completely PC, but I am not here to offend nor please anyone. I am here to state my thoughts on the Christian views of fear and violence, not to argue over abortion. So move your thoughts on abortion to a different blog if you want to talk about it. Thank you for your time and patience.
