I've been watching the show “Reaper” on the CW pretty much all season. I was blown away by the pilot: smart, funny, different. Plus, Laura Palmer's dad in an impeccable suit, nice draw. It was getting formulaic but then about four weeks ago the game changed, and frankly, I think it's raising the most interesting questions about Christianity that are being raised on TV today.
Sam is a 21-year-old bounty hunter of souls who have escaped Hell. All of the souls did terrible things before death and are thereby damned for eternity. Somehow, though, they manage to slip away and return to Earth. Sam's neighbors are handsome homosexual gentlemen who just happen to be, oh yeah, demons. Angels who fell during Lucifer's war against God. Sam's friends are fair game for collateral damage, but they 1) know what they're in for and 2) have been blessed by the more ethnic friend's grandmother, who has the ability to see evil.
The problem with modern Christianity is that there just isn't enough (ok, any) mention of the devil; at least, not in the Presbyterian/Methodist churches I've attended for the past 13-some-odd years. (yeah, some years were odder than others :). And I think that's a real lack in the modern Church. Because, yeah, God is Good, and God is Love, and all you need is Love, but, 1) Love hurts, and 2) God isn't in all people. We're taught from an early age that God is in everything, but that simply cannot be true, because there is True Evil in this world and I can't believe that God has anything to do about that.
Don't believe me? Then maybe you didn't see the articles about Josef Fritzl? (Fringes don't you dare click the link)
So anyway, back to “Reaper.” Last week's episode featured a 12-step group for the fallen angels. They figured by doing kind deeds and being friendly, they would eradicate the devil in “300, maybe 400 years.” The devil got wind of their plot and destroyed the building where they were meeting. You know why? Sam figured it out: because they were RIGHT.
Kindness kills the devil. So next time I read another heinous news story, I'm gonna go out and plant a bunch of flowers in a public place, or bring cookies to Lex's nursery school, or sex up my husband in ways that have proved very popular in the past. Or post a happy-puppy blog post. So, see, we'll all benefit!
I've been reading about Fritzl and those poor kids all week. My boyfriend is out of town, remember? Gotta fill the void with horror stories (or something like that).
The belief v. disbelief in Satan is the stuff major theological splits are made of. I am of the belief that people like Fritzl are bad enough that whether or not they have a central headquarters is nearly irrelevant.