It's really NOT all for you, Damien

I'm pretty easy to scare. I mean EASY to scare. Odd noises scare me, shadows scare me, strange lights scare me. One night a few weeks ago I came home late to my grandparents' house and drank a glass of ice water before heading to bed. When I touched the dishwasher, their intercom system sprang to life with this horrible static-y noise. Then a bunch of napkins fell on the floor from across the room. I freaked out, set down the glass, and ran to bed. I'm sure all those things can be explained logically, but I'm not logical-- I'm scared.

Movies scare me too. The Village wasn’t even supposed to be scary, but when that girl was all turned around in the woods, my heart was POUNDING. Ok, so I’m a retard and should probably toughen up a bit. Still, there is a good reason for fear. It drives us away from dangerous situations. It’s a protective mechanism that, in many cases, one should listen to. Some things in life really are scary.

The 1976 film The Omen is one of those movies that would scare anyone. It is by far the scariest thing I’ve ever witnessed. It is not scary because people die or because that little kid’s eyes get red, it is scary because it is demonic.

Spiritual warfare is real. The Omen brought this to the big screen. The movie is frightening because the forces with which it deals really do exist. However, the eventual conclusion is “Satan wins.”

There is a true Enemy who stands opposed to every person on this earth. He is the master of fear, holding dark movies like The Omen up to shatter our will. He tells us we cannot prevail against him… but this is NOT true.

When I was in Northern Ireland (a place ruled by fear), Cliff referred me to Psalm 27 where King David proclaims; “The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger—so why should I tremble?” The Omen does well to point out the earthly battle between good and evil, but it does not award the prize to the TRUE victor. The Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the real Hero. So like I said, scary things exist in the world, but even if they scare us, we shouldn’t be ruled by fear because One greater than ourselves has already triumphed.

Fox recently announced plans to remake The Omen. I will not see it. The film is not a healthy admonition to be awake to spiritual warfare. It is a seed of evil and defeatism that caught me once before but will not snare me again. I’m going to live by faith and claim Psalm 97:10: “Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”

I may get jumpy sometimes, but I trust my God to protect me. In the words of Kevin McCallister, "I'm not afraid anymore."

Michelle My Belle

In 1991, I breathed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It’s kind of sick to think how crazy I was about a Disney movie. I saw it in the theater four times. I had Beauty and the Beast clothes, dolls, school supplies, books, tapes, collectible figurines… it was my movie, my obsession. I’d wake up in the morning and flit down the stairs singing the opening song, “Bonjour.” I dreamed that I was Belle and wished with all my heart to be like her. She was strikingly beautiful and everyone noticed (even with brown eyes like mine). She wasn’t simply lovely on the outside, she had a beauty of character that made her little town step back in awe. I could relate to Belle, because even though she seemed to have it all together, she felt alone. “I want much more than this provincial life!” I didn’t know what “provincial” meant, but I longed for more in my life as well. I longed for adventure.

It’s been more than a decade since I’d discovered Beauty and the Beast. Most of the brand paraphernalia disappeared long ago. I forgot about Belle and my dream for “much more.” In the process of growing up, I shut down my desires and went along with the flow of life. Duty. Obligation. Work. Stress.

A few days ago, I received the Captivating Guided Journal in the mail. I was in a spiritual rut and had no idea how to get out. I’d tried reading the Bible, but I felt its words were closed off to me somehow. Nothing penetrated. Maybe a journal could help. As I filled in the pages, I felt God tugging on my heart to return to my love of Beauty and the Beast. I didn’t need to feel ashamed of it. God put the desire for fairy tales in everyone’s hearts. Different tales resonate with different people. Beauty and the Beast happens to be the one that most resonates with me.

I haven’t had to work this week, so with a lot of time on my hands, I dug through our old movies and recovered our tattered old VHS of the film. I popped it in the VCR and was again transfixed. My young heart rejoiced… and grieved and laughed and reminisced. Amid the classic children’s story, I discovered lessons long forgotten or never fully realized. Here is a glimpse of what I found:

For the past few months, God has been teaching me about the roles men and women were created to play (thank you, John and Stasi Eldredge and Cliff). A man is the image of a warrior God. A woman is the image of a beautiful/life-giving God. Bell and the Beast model these roles with striking clarity. At first, both are fallen. My current favorite scene in the movie is the wolf fight. It all starts out when Belle defiantly trespasses into the Beast’s West Wing. The two already hate each other, and Belle’s insubordination (a result of her sinful urge to control and dominate) enrages the Beast. The Beast lashes out in violent anger (a result of his own wounds), using his strength against her instead of for her. Belle flees the scene, although she’d made a commitment to stay. She’s frightened and probably ashamed that she incited such rage in the enchanted prince.

Ah, and then there’s redemption.

As Belle and her horse take off through the woods, wolves attack them. Belle tries to fight them off, but she is ill-suited for the task and it seems all hope is lost. Just in time, the Beast comes for her. He didn’t have to do it. He hated her. He had every right to be mad at her. Yet still he came and fought for her. And it was brilliant! In the end, he is victorious, but he is wounded. He offered his strength for a woman who was running away. What was her response? She didn’t have to stay. He’d scared her. He’d yelled at her. He’d thrown things at her. And yet, she nurtured him. Her cold, defiance melted away as she offered her beauty through her actions. It’s an incredible testament to the way men and women can inspire one another to be the image of God they were created to mirror. *sigh

That was the start of their relationship. They didn't wait until they loved one another perfectly to fight for and nurture one another. Instead they offered themselves, fallen as they were, and it brought about surprising results.