Horror often has biblical imagery and parallelism, particularly classic horror. This is because the Bible itself is a story of redemption from and among the darkest of horrors.
Acknowledging the presence and power of evil is not an acceptance of it and it is, in fact, the believer who should be most aware and least fearful.
Horror isn’t new. It is ancient, and its stories permeate cultures from all over the globe. For as long as humans have shared stories, we’ve told tales of ghosts, phantoms, demons, and creatures that we’d now call werewolves. Horror is our heritage.
Today’s horror is influenced by folk tales, Ancient Greek literature, and the Book of Revelation.
Horror shows the reality of a supernatural world. It is designed to shock us from our complacency and it draws our attention to the (very real) world beyond the material.
Humans have always attempted to understand the supernatural realities that they can innately perceive, and it is believers who should be most equipped to navigate these artful depictions of a very real battle between good and evil that we know is happening around us.
Those who know that the battle has been ultimately won should be unshaken by the reality that it rages on.
Horror, by its very nature, is the antithesis of materialism and it continues to turn our imaginations to what exists beyond our realm.
In a world that increasingly denies the existence of the supernatural, horror remains a literary spotlight upon it.
Humans have also always used art and story to look full on the human condition, and the horrors of the human mind and heart are as equally shocking as demons and vampires.
Our understanding of the human condition should be unshrinking and acute.
Horror serves to illustrate the depths of depravity and cause us to fully understand the magnitude of Good’s triumph over evil.
Monsters exist, and we would be monstrous but for the grace of God, and horror gives us an opportunity to confront this reality and to be better equipped to fight the good fight until Christ returns to fight (and win) the most gory and horrific war that will ever be waged.
Do you enjoy horror?
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