By Lacey Gunter
There are certain ideas that seem to be woven into the fabric of our beings. Ideas that we can all resonate with on one level or another. Someone might try to ague that they are just a result of environmental or cultural influences. But the countless generations and myriads of cultures in which they appear clearly puts that argument into question.
One of these ideas is the battle between good and evil. This idea has dominated literature and the arts for as long as we have records of literature and arts. If it is not the most frequent theme, I suspect it would only come in second to the topic of love.
The modern secularization of America has led to the promotion of the concept that there is no such thing as good and evil, only what feels best for you. It is funny that even as this concept is being preached as wisdom, our imagination and our hearts can't seem to let go of the idea of a battle between good and evil. All one need do is skim a list of the most popular books and movies of the past decade to see that the idea still deeply resonates with people. From Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hunger Games to super heroes and super villains, to name a just a few.
Why is this? Why do we seem to be so drawn to the idea of an epic battle between good and evil that we have to study it and immerse ourselves it and see it from many different angles and scenarios? Being a blog with a religious bent, as you might guess, I think this is because it is what we are actually doing, what we are actually involved in, an epic battle, of infinite proportions, between good and evil. We are battling it within ourselves, within the walls of our own homes and in our communities all around us. We resonate with it because we have experienced and felt it and we want and need to be inspired to continue to fight and to conquer despite our exhaustion and the looming difficulties that lay ahead.
When the dust settles and the victory is decided and the narrative of this world is finally all written, man is it going to be a fantastical epic tale. I can't wait to read it and I hope ever so much my miniscule contribution in it will be something I can be proud of. Even if I am just some faceless, nameless soldier in the crowd, as long as I am fighting for the right side, I know I will have contributed to something far greater than even the best fiction, fairy tales and fantasies.
There are certain ideas that seem to be woven into the fabric of our beings. Ideas that we can all resonate with on one level or another. Someone might try to ague that they are just a result of environmental or cultural influences. But the countless generations and myriads of cultures in which they appear clearly puts that argument into question.
One of these ideas is the battle between good and evil. This idea has dominated literature and the arts for as long as we have records of literature and arts. If it is not the most frequent theme, I suspect it would only come in second to the topic of love.
The modern secularization of America has led to the promotion of the concept that there is no such thing as good and evil, only what feels best for you. It is funny that even as this concept is being preached as wisdom, our imagination and our hearts can't seem to let go of the idea of a battle between good and evil. All one need do is skim a list of the most popular books and movies of the past decade to see that the idea still deeply resonates with people. From Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hunger Games to super heroes and super villains, to name a just a few.
When the dust settles and the victory is decided and the narrative of this world is finally all written, man is it going to be a fantastical epic tale. I can't wait to read it and I hope ever so much my miniscule contribution in it will be something I can be proud of. Even if I am just some faceless, nameless soldier in the crowd, as long as I am fighting for the right side, I know I will have contributed to something far greater than even the best fiction, fairy tales and fantasies.
Yes I have wondered at times why is it that we are fascinated with the battle of good and evil
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm one little soldier fighing on the right side too. :-)
ReplyDelete