Two Horror Posts Reminded Me of Paul’s Message to Us

I hate horror movies. At almost 70, I saw my first one last month, the silent one from 1922. Nosferatu. I went because the talented jazz pianist Peter Dasent had composed and played the soundtrack. (I have to say the music was brilliant, not because he is my brother-in-law.)

I had warned him that if it was scary I should leave, but I needn’t have worried—the show has aged so badly that the audience was snickering at every ominous moment. But last Friday I went to see an opera, Breaking the waveswhich left me transfixed with horror.

I don’t know if I would have preferred not to go, it’s the first time I’ve thought about it. Superbly staged by Opera Australia, Breaking the waves is a musical version of Lars von Trier’s 1990s film about the degradation, expulsion from his church and eventual rape and murder of a young married woman in Scotland. Every aspect of it was really powerful, but it was also deeply poignant.

I am not criticizing those who enjoy horror as entertainment. I am told that it is a very sophisticated genre, which sometimes has its own moral message. But what is happening in your mind is important: the images can be hard to forget and can cause trauma, and not just to yourself. This newspaper recently reported on a rise in cases of choking during sex, inspired by pornography, which can cause lifelong damage or even death.

There is surely enough horror in the real world, from Gaza to Ukraine to homelessness and abuse in Melbourne. I have read that horror as entertainment is a luxury for a society in which real horror is relatively rare.

The apostle Paul’s advice in his letter to the Christians in Philippi therefore remains as wise and relevant today as ever: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise—think about these things.”

The psychological benefits are recognized and profound, but so are the spiritual benefits. “Thinking” has also been translated as “dwelling on” and “meditating,” emphasizing that it is a careful reflection.

Paul wants people to focus on things that edify and encourage them. He also knows that this will impact their practical lives, because actions flow from thoughts.