I love a good movie, even better, a book you can’t put down. I tend to like adventure movies and war movies – man-movies. I loved the Chronicles of Narnia, and I tolerated The Lord of the Rings for Tolkien’s allegory of spiritual truths.
But I draw the line at books and movies that glorify evil for the sake appealing to our baser instincts. There is a beautiful side of evil that entices and allures us as if by some mystical spell. Movies and books that exalt sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and witchcraft are off my pursuit list. They are clearly Satan’s territory and I believe Christians should not walk into the enemy’s territory deliberately. It is hard enough to be pure from the evil within let alone feeding our fallen natures with such stuff.
But not all movies and books have such clear-cut lines of demarcation. The recent blockbuster movie Hunger Games, based on the trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins is such an example. I understand the books are well written and cleverly crafted to suck you in to the story and produce an addiction so strong you can’t wait to get into the next book. It has the same strong allure as the Harry Potter Series, but without the witchcraft factor.
However well written we must remember that these books are written by a children’s writer and are listed as children’s books. They are well written and that is commendable. But what lies stealthfully hidden beneath the façade of an adventure tale is the hidden message of murder and gratuitous violence. The scenes of carnage in the book are even more visceral than in the movie, which itself is quite realistic and visual, and leaves the scenes embedded in ones memory and psyche for some time.
I have not read the books, nor have I seen the movie. I might have except for heartbroken cry from an older teen who is a recent believer who did read the books, all three, and felt unclean and violated afterward. She wrote to me asking me as her pastor why believers and even pastors have gone wild over Hunger Games. The following is her description of her experience with the books.
I have her permission to share this with you.
Pastor Dick...I've been wondering about your thoughts on something.
I'm sure that, being on Facebook, you've heard mention of The Hunger Games, a new movie coming out tonight actually, based on a popular book series.
I *have* read these books. I'd read the first and second before I sifted through my books a few years ago, and at the time that I went through my books (to clear out and burn the trash of vampires stuff), my copy of the first was lent out to a friend, and so I didn't include it in the pile that day, and since that one wasn't included, I didn't include the second either.
After that point, the third book came out, and I proceeded to read it...I wish I hadn't. The moment I finished it, I had to take it out of my room; I didn't want to be anywhere near it. It was so disturbing on so, so many levels, and just thinking about it now makes me sick to my stomach.
I'll admit, I was enamored by the first 2 in the series...and the way they're written sucks you in and leaves each book on a cliffhanger so that you can't read just the first, you have to read all 3...and getting to the end of book 3 is like a slap in the face, and you're just hit with "What on earth have I been reading?" Or at least, that's how it was with me. Book 3 opened my eyes to how entertained I'd been about *children* murdering each other as sport, and I was disgusted, ashamed even, to realize how very "into it" I had gotten.
Immediately, my views on the books changed, and I began discouraging everyone I could *not* to read them: there are images in my mind from these books that I wish were not there, and that I don't wish upon anyone else.
Pastor Dick, I'm finding myself so, so discouraged at seeing how this series is spreading like wildfire through the church. And so far, I'm the only person I know who's read the books, and feels the way I do. I do know 2 people who read book 3 and felt the way I did, but with all of the movie hype, they just don't care anymore, and that frustrates me so greatly!
A lot of people say that the series has a good political message...but in my opinion, that is not justification for many of the scenes in these books, and for the "love" of them, and the excitement over them. My soul is grieved each time I see someone else hop in line to read The Hunger Games...and even more when I see the excitement to see them come to life on the movie screen.
I feel like for whatever reason, God has given me some level of discernment when it comes to books and movies...but this is the first time I've found myself standing alone, especially in the church, in my thoughts on a book. It's just very discouraging to me...and I suppose I was just wondering what you think of all of the hype.
What you think of the series, even if you haven't read them, if you think I'm being dramatic or crazy in my fervent discouraging of the books... I'm seeing raves about the series from people I'd have *never* expected to support them, and it makes me wonder if I'm just being silly...but something tells me I'm not. I can just feel that my spirit is *so* unsettled by all of this. I just can't believe that I'm the only one who sees these books this way...
It gives you some pause and some food for thought. We will continue with this theme for a few more posts... Stay tuned...
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