I’ve recently begun writing monthly articles for Lorehaven.com, which explores Biblical truth in fantastic stories. My hope with these articles is to leverage the common ground of fiction and fandom for God’s glory. Books and movies are often easy places to start a spiritual conversation. This is especially true with internationals, as entertainment media is one of America’s top exports. There is broad familiarity around the globe with the stories our country produces.
My first article is entitled, “How God Uses Story Villains for Our Good,” where I look at the ways in which God speaks truth (often uncomfortable, hard truth) to us through the “bad guys” in fiction. Here are some excerpts:
On a basic level, villains run the show and provide contrast to the hero. Stories can’t exist without them, and the worse the bad guy, the greater the triumph of the good guy. Beyond this truth, story villains reveal God’s good purpose for our lives.
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One of the most loving actions God does is to show us our sin. Otherwise, sin would destroy us. After Jesus’s ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to “convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8, CSB). God gave this conviction personally to Cain, warning him: “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Unfortunately Cain didn’t listen, and we know the rest of his story. Sin ended one life and ruined another.
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Story villains show us pictures of people who have completely turned away from God’s ways and whom God may have delivered over to their own evil plans. This clear portrayal of a life apart from God is crucial. Too often, sin blinds us and lulls us into complacency. Villains, therefore, are a gracious reminder of the pervasiveness and destructiveness of sin.
I hope you enjoy this article and pray that it could even equip you to have a spiritual conversation with someone in your life. Feel free to share the article with a friend, family member, or neighbor and use these suggested discussion questions:
- Which villains do you like?
- Why do you relate to them?
- What uncomfortable things do they reveal about you?