An Aroma of Fear
God's Sovereignty In Horror Productions
It is that time of the year when writers create horror stories and performers act out scenes that may unsettle people enough to want to check their doors, windows, closets and even take a look under the bed, perhaps even more than once. On the flip side, people may gather at home to watch or read such stories for the thrill. There is a natural fear of the unseen spiritual world, especially when it is presented with an aroma of fear.
Christians should embrace all opportunities to point people to Jesus Christ, His Father holds Sovereign control over all things. Christians struggle with balancing "...whatever is honorable... whatever is pure, whatever is lovely..." (Philippians 4:8) with being involved with the typical celebrations of Halloween.
Mature Christians have a Biblical understanding of God's Sovereignty. They have a clear vision on how the Lord wants to use them during a season that intrigues people to find pleasure in reading fearful stories, watch horror movies or visit an elaborated haunted house.
God is Sovereign (???????? šoltan) meaning "He has dominion over everything that exist." (Dan. 4:3[3:33]; 4:34[31]; (Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. E. (2003). (The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.) The Sovereignty of God is "a theological term that refers to the unlimited power of God, who has Sovereign control over the affairs of nature and history. The Bible declares that God is working out His Sovereign plan of redemption for the world and that the conclusion is certain." (Is. 45:9–19; Rom. 8:18–39; (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., & Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson Publishers (Eds.). (1995). In Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
In His Sovereignty, God allowed novel writer, Jim Stovall, to write three delightful parables. The Ultimate Gift presented the appreciation of the value of life. The Ultimate Life presented the value of love. Finally, The Ultimate Journey presented life's journey as not about the destination, but traveling it well. Not everything in Mr. Stovall's trilogy are true events, but his writings, which have been and continue to be made into movies, hold truths that enable us to live productive lives. God's Sovereignty allows horror writers and movie makers to present an aroma of fear. The Exorcist, a novel written by William Peter Blatty, was inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe and later made into a movie directed by William Friedkin in 1973. (Cinema of the occult: new age, satanism, Wicca, and spiritualism in film) There is the continual debate about the 1977 book, The Amityville Horror, which was also later made into a movie and several sequels, and inspired several spinoffs, such as The Conjuring. Despite the lack of evidence to corroborate much of the original story, it remains one of the most popular haunting accounts in American folklore. Even though both horrific accounts cannot be presented as actual truth, they continue to emit an aroma of fear.
The Bible has at least thirty-five Scriptures which warn of Satan's hold over the unrepentant soul. Jesus talks about a place where those who do not have a relationship with Him will spend eternity, "a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Luke 13:28) This is a factual aroma of fear; escape it by having Christ as personal Savior and Lord!
