True Horror…

So I like vampire movies. I do. I know they're not "Christian" or "Christlike" or edifying or anything like that. I know that my wife does not like them and does not like me to watch them. It's true that the genre typically pulls sensuality into the storyline and if one is not careful, one may see more than is appropriate. Thank God for the skip chapter button on the DVD remote.

I guess the important question is "Why do I like vampire movies?" I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I've had some insights. Much of it has to do with immortality. I need to go ahead and submit to you that what I'm about to share, I think, applies to everybody who digs this genre whether they realize or not. It's just one of those existential realities that simply is. So don't waste your time trying to convince me otherwise, or I'll fly into your room at night and suck out all your blood….

I believe John Eldridge is right when he speaks of stories resonating with our hearts because the elements in them that are true are True of the The Story. I think this happens even when the elements of the True Story have become twisted as well. In the vampire legend, immortality is gained by what means? Blood. Drinking it. The life is in the blood. Are these not the words of God to His people in the Bible? Do not eat the meat with the blood still in it. Do not murder for the blood of man is precious and the blood of the murderer must be spilt in recompense. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins…on and on about blood.

But the vampire myth twists the Truth of the importance of blood in a couple of ways. First, it makes blood in general, not just the exclusive blood of the Son of God, a way to immortality. First, you've got to be bitten, and then, you either have to drink vampire blood or you die. So there's a death. This is similar to the Christian idea that one must die to sin and to the world and be raised to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.

Second, it offers the same shortcuts that Satan tempted Christ with at the end of the 40 days of testing in the wilderness. The things that Satan offered Jesus were not bad things. But the way that he tempted Jesus was in taking the easy way or a shortcut to get to those things. Vampirism offers the same temptation in a sense. Instead of dying to the world and to sin, immortality is offered along side full indulgence of this world and sin. The desire to live forever and the desire for pleasure are not evil things. They are God-given and He longs to fulfill them in ever person that He has made, but in His timing and in His way. In contrast to the perseverance and trust that are required in true salvation and relationship to God, the vampire offers a cheap imitation.

In short is offers a counterfeit redemption or salvation. So my fascination and resonance with the myth is, I admit it, not a good one. I t resonates because it is false and there is a part of me, still in my flesh, that is tempted by the shortcut, tempted to take the quick and easy way out. I must confess, some days I do indulge that fantasy of being able to go back to childhood while retaining all the knowledge and experiences you have now. It is appealing when I consider all that I could do and leverage to my advantage. It is only on rare occasions that I realize all the pain that would be involved in such a decision. (I might explore this idea specifically in another blog some other time…). And those are just some thoughts on blood sucking undead people….hope none of them that read this blog were offended.