Friday, 31 July 2009
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Metaphors for the Christian Life in Popular Fiction: Overkill?
by miss goldenrod
How real is our enemy's war? How is it that a Christian girl, raised in a Christian home and educated in a Christian school, has never read The Pilgrim's Progress?I ignorantly believed before starting Bunyan's work that the majority of the it dealt with Christian's road to conversion. Not so; Christian comes to the "Wicket-gate" and Jesus' salvation early; then, and following the Bible's lead, Bunyan falls onto metaphor to illustrate the trials we Believers will face. J.R.R. Tolkien did this also with books I have already read, his The Fellowship of the Ring trilogy, and Lewis with his Chronicles.
These I've mentioned and certainly many other works of "fiction" provide graphic, illustrative battles and circumstances for their heroes: actual Valley's of the Shadow of Death, true armies of Orcs, cold, evil rulers. Real arrows and darts are thrown; swords really clash. I get that all these are the metaphors of the Christian life, but they seem so graphic, so obvious. As I said, even the Bible gets in on it:
Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? Jeremiah 2:6, KJV
Real Christian life isn't like that. Though this verse in Jeremiah speaks of a true history, we Believers have been using in metaphorically every since. Most of us, anyway...and fortunately. We don't slog through actual Slough's of Despair or are faced with a tangible Caracas, nor do we really find refuges reminiscent of Bunyan's palace Beautiful.
So is all this metaphor truly accurate, or is it overkill? And if it isn't overkill, is the evil more deadly because of its elegantly crafted subtlety?
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About the Author
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- From: Miss_Goldenrod
- Name: Laura
- About Me: A Christian living in Metro-Detroit who, when not working as a Horticultural Technician (Plant Lady) or volunteering with the Macomb Literacy Partners, reads, writes, watches too much television, and hangs out with family and friends. I share a home with a crotchety parakeet, a tankful of fish, and an adorable ferret (see photograph...under my skirt). To visit my Xanga alias, go to www.xanga.com/cygnus33
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Comments (11)
So is all this metaphor truly accurate, or is it overkill? And if it isn't overkill, is the evil more deadly because of its elegantly crafted subtlety?
This is not metaphor. It is true. Saint John of the Cross writes of this reality in "The Dark Night". All disciples must traverse the Dark Night. It is a time of purification and great learning.
"God gives us as much as we can handle."
The feirceness of the spiritual battle we are in is well depicted by some of these illustrations; but yes, I do believe that evil is more effective during times of 'ease' than in times of trial. While a lot of people 'fall away' during times of trial, it only refines those who truly believe. I think a great many more people are 'led away' by the things that we face today because they don't get exposed to a sincere and working faith-- merely an intelectual faith.
"Fiction imitates reality."
These "metaphors" illustrate our spiritual warfare...
i think the Chronicals of Narnia's metephors are overkill and over the top and don't follow one logic, really made it hard to enjoy it
Art is a metaphor for life. Life imitates art, art imitates life. It is very important for the Christian artist to find ways to speak metaphorically about their faith through their art in many ways. Oftentimes, this is the only avenue as some people will not wish to hear the gospel strait out, but they will enjoy 3, 3-hour epics like Lord of the RIngs. Obviously, we are long past these fantastic times, we will never pick up sword and shield to do battle. This is good material for art, then, because it already puts the audience into a subjective mind, a mind that suspends the day to day reality of living (work, chores, bills, etc.), allowing it to focus on timeless themes and spiritual realities (truth, Jesus, the bible, etc.). That is the function of art for the Christian. It is inevitable that the Christian will produce this type of art regardless because all artists "see" through their own "reality lenses". To the true Christian, reality is Christianity and so it will be natural for the Christian artist to speak metaphorically about Christian themes because that is in his/her mind and heart, it is unavoidable. In that sense, all art that is made by a true Christian can be considered "Christian art". For example, Kinkade.
Fantasy is only one genre. All genres, including real life drama and even horror, should be explored by the Christian storyteller. Each have their fans and each have people that can be influenced by the messages contained in them. For example, I just watched Disney's "The Jungle Book" yesterday with my kids. It was the last movie that Walt worked on, dieing before the premiere. In it, verbatim, is a bible verse that Bagera, the panther, quotes to Mowgli, the boy, after Baloo the bear gets "killed" by Sher Khan. Here is the reference, John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." This is the gospel in a nutshell, right at a very key point in the movie. Subtle, but not preachy. The whole movie, it would seem, led up to this climax, all to share one small bible verse...WAY TO GO, WALT!
So, for me, I'll never tire of any Christian trying to speak metaphorically about Christian themes, because these timeless stories, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, The Jungle Book, live on and on for future generations to hear the gospel. I hope that my own art, my music, might do the same.
It depends on which gospel message you have been given. If you have been given a God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life invitation, then these metaphors seem quite out to lunch. If you have recieved a [enter through the narrow gate, and walk the narrow path Matt.7:13,14 message] and have truly entered through the narrow gate of repentance and trust, these metaphors have great meaning. When Jesus said "strive to enter the narrow gate.... , that word strive is where we get the word agonize. Becoming a true Christian is not easy, nor the path we must take. The modern gospel uses happiness, purpose, and fullfillment as a draw card to salvation, The real gospel promises trials, temptation, and persecution,and in the end everlasting life.
These works have helped me put the battles I have faced into perspective. No its not overkill in my opinion. Jesus used parables and similar style in his teachings recorded in the New Testament. Paul used Greek culture to relay the gospel to greeks and so on.
As far as the second part of the question, I would say no.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - Good book....Just curious; do you consider yourself a christian mystic?
@BrianHa@xanga - Just curious; do you consider yourself a christian mystic?
No. I went to Confession one time and the priest assigned me "The Dark Night" for Penance. That book made me realize the source of my intense spiritual suffering.
I became a happy person after that.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - So maybe a catholic mystic...the reason I ask is that St John was a mystic and the book deals with one of the levels of mysticism