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By QuaWanna Bannarbie

Children of the 1980s know one common fear: scary movies that starred the characters of Freddy Krueger from the horror franchise titled “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and his fellow horror icon Jason Voorhees of the “Friday the 13th” movie franchise. I am a child of the ’80s. It took me watching one movie starring Freddy Krueger for me to know that I did not like horror. Part of the reason I dislike this genre of entertainment is because I think the creators of these types of characters are sick people. I wonder why someone would actually enjoy creating such evil storylines.

Although I detest his fictional persona, Freddy Krueger taught me something very important. His evil was not real, and it could be defeated by someone who knows their real power. I noticed a common thread in most horror movies. Even if the villain returns for a sequel, good always has the victory in the end. There is always a stronger hero or heroine than the villain. Sometimes there is a group of heroes that bond together to defeat the evil, one such as what happened to Marvel’s Thanos.

Movies, television shows, plays and even some books that these storylines are adapted from afford us a comfort in knowing that these monsters are fictional. Even when I do watch thrillers such as Stephen King’s movie version of his book, “The Dark Tower,” I can rest assured that this villain will fall. I am uncomfortable continuing to watch the gunslinger get a beating, but I do watch until the end, because I know good will triumph. There are not any nightmares when good triumphs.

The reality is quite different.

When I am watching the news of beautiful lives taking a beating, screaming out in vain as their breath is seeping from them, I cannot continue to watch. I cannot watch the news when the evil one is wearing a uniform that should represent good, but the world is watching evil in uniform. I wonder why someone in uniform would provoke such an evil news headline.

It is jarring to my soul that I can trust movies, even the horrid ones, more than I can trust my reality. Villains die in horror movies. In their movies, the sick imaginations of Wes Craven and Stephen King still know that good must win over the gross murderers and killers that do not have a fondness or respect for human life. Yet, that is not our reality. This reality causes nightmares far worse than those on Elm Street.

Nevertheless, although I fail to understand how fiction gets it right when reality gets it wrong. I know a hero that I must put my trust in. While I cannot continue to watch the news coverage because it can be worse than horror movies, I will continue to watch for my hero. The word of God reminds me that while evil is present within human beings (Romans 7), victory belongs to Jesus.

 

QuaWanna Bannarbie is an adjunct professor of Nonprofit Leadership and Management with Indiana Wesleyan University, National and Global. Her children attend Suffolk Public Schools. Connect with her via QNikki_Notes or iamquawanna@thebiggerme.net.