spiritual and material possession alike
Tonight Cory and I viewed The Omen, like most horror films, I had not seen it previously. Devil movies seem to bother me more than anything. Creepy-crawlies do not scare me, but the idea of something intangible and internal terrifies me. The thought that I could be working against all of my good intentions without my even knowing it is deeply disturbing. My fear of losing control and working for an unintended and unwelcome agenda is greater than any of the subtly indoctrinated mysticism of my years growing up Catholic.
It was appropriate that after the conclusion of the film we ended up in a fairly sprawling conversation that hopped from the bible, to capitalism, to apathy; from michael jackson to george bush; from the unbearable lightness of being to the twilight zone, with nagging 1984-esque thoughts racing through the back of my mind.
I do believe in the Devil, but I don't know if this is in the traditional red guy down below...sense. I believe in evil influence, and I believe in possession. I don't think that possession actually makes heads spin, and whatnot, but I think that we are living in a time when too many people are possessed. People aren't possessed by an actual evil being residing inside them and causing them to contort and crawl up walls - rather they are possessed, much like Faust was possessed. Remember that "to posses" is just another way of saying "to own." Too many people are OWNED by their greed, comfort... superficial concerns and desires.
The young people in our society are distracted until we become possessed by the same evils that have grabbed on to the older generations. We are made not to think, not to ... bless ourselves, not to open our eyes, not to fight against evil. We allow our doom to creep ever closer because we are comfortable. Too comfortable to bother, or too uncomfortable to care. We are kept in positions of either total struggle, or extreme... idleness. Maybe even the more insidious...semi-struggle, in which every moment that isn't struggle is wanted by rest...by amusement.
I'm not saying that I'm not guilty. I may be more guilty. My eyes are open, I see what is happening, but I'm too ...dumbstruck, and too hopeless - I lack the faith and conviction to figure out MY ROLE in changing things.
This may all be because deep down, I don't know if it wouldn't be better to let the Devil win this one. Would our world be better off if this country were to glut itself to the point of total collapse? Or would the world be worse off...with whatever fills the political vaccum that the United States leaves behind. Is the Devil like a virus? He grows and grows in power and intensity until his host is killed by these things. When his host becomes a rotting corpse in the ground, does not the devil have to begin again? Does not the cycle repeat itself from square one?
In The Omen, the Devil...most certainly wins. We see that the flailing, emotional, flawed actions of humans cannot defeat this foe. In The Exorcist, we see that maybe just maybe when the Devil wins, and kills his host - humanity has a few moments left ... in which to try to protect itself again.
In The Exorcist, when Merrin is coming in to the home - flashing back between the eyes of the Devil and Merrin's sillouette... it is not only established that He and the Devil are old foes, but also that man and the Devil are eternal foes.
I don't know if the idea of fighting the forces of evil in our world makes me feel more purposeful or less. In The Omen, the father seemed to think that he could change what was written thousands of years ago... something so obviously impossible and egotistical of him. He thought he could save the world. Is it equally egotistical and impossible of me to think that there is a way to change the world, and stop the cycle - to hold the Devil off before the rise of a new people to possess?
It was appropriate that after the conclusion of the film we ended up in a fairly sprawling conversation that hopped from the bible, to capitalism, to apathy; from michael jackson to george bush; from the unbearable lightness of being to the twilight zone, with nagging 1984-esque thoughts racing through the back of my mind.
I do believe in the Devil, but I don't know if this is in the traditional red guy down below...sense. I believe in evil influence, and I believe in possession. I don't think that possession actually makes heads spin, and whatnot, but I think that we are living in a time when too many people are possessed. People aren't possessed by an actual evil being residing inside them and causing them to contort and crawl up walls - rather they are possessed, much like Faust was possessed. Remember that "to posses" is just another way of saying "to own." Too many people are OWNED by their greed, comfort... superficial concerns and desires.
The young people in our society are distracted until we become possessed by the same evils that have grabbed on to the older generations. We are made not to think, not to ... bless ourselves, not to open our eyes, not to fight against evil. We allow our doom to creep ever closer because we are comfortable. Too comfortable to bother, or too uncomfortable to care. We are kept in positions of either total struggle, or extreme... idleness. Maybe even the more insidious...semi-struggle, in which every moment that isn't struggle is wanted by rest...by amusement.
I'm not saying that I'm not guilty. I may be more guilty. My eyes are open, I see what is happening, but I'm too ...dumbstruck, and too hopeless - I lack the faith and conviction to figure out MY ROLE in changing things.
This may all be because deep down, I don't know if it wouldn't be better to let the Devil win this one. Would our world be better off if this country were to glut itself to the point of total collapse? Or would the world be worse off...with whatever fills the political vaccum that the United States leaves behind. Is the Devil like a virus? He grows and grows in power and intensity until his host is killed by these things. When his host becomes a rotting corpse in the ground, does not the devil have to begin again? Does not the cycle repeat itself from square one?
In The Omen, the Devil...most certainly wins. We see that the flailing, emotional, flawed actions of humans cannot defeat this foe. In The Exorcist, we see that maybe just maybe when the Devil wins, and kills his host - humanity has a few moments left ... in which to try to protect itself again.
In The Exorcist, when Merrin is coming in to the home - flashing back between the eyes of the Devil and Merrin's sillouette... it is not only established that He and the Devil are old foes, but also that man and the Devil are eternal foes.
I don't know if the idea of fighting the forces of evil in our world makes me feel more purposeful or less. In The Omen, the father seemed to think that he could change what was written thousands of years ago... something so obviously impossible and egotistical of him. He thought he could save the world. Is it equally egotistical and impossible of me to think that there is a way to change the world, and stop the cycle - to hold the Devil off before the rise of a new people to possess?