It’s such a relief to be attacked by goblins. Why? Because wielding the sword in that situation is clearly the right thing to do. Goblins are always bad guys in classical fantasy; they represent evil that can’t be reasoned with or won over, but simply must be defeated.
More modern fiction—and contemporary life—has removed this clear distinction. In our lives, we tend to see in shades of gray. Rather than standing on defined standards, we worry more about interpretation and what’s acceptable. We’ve started writing about admirable bad guys and deplorable heroes. The sure sense of right and wrong has been lost.
Knowing good from evil
Classic fantasy restores the clear delineation between good and evil, light and dark, that still exists in our world. It’s not relative, and it is real. That may sound like a bold claim, but we all know there is a difference between right and wrong. We all have consciences. We all have a sense of justice that is offended when things just aren’t right. Whether it’s mind control in the Divergent series or coercion in The Hunger Games or slavery in real life, we know that overriding someone’s free will is wrong—and that’s just one example.
The reason for this is that good and evil aren’t based on people. People have the capacity for both. As a result, our actions and perspectives are muddied, and we’re in conflict with ourselves and each other. We struggle to see with certainty what is right in the countless situations we find ourselves in every day, and we keep moving the goal posts to fit the day.
Instead, good is based on the eternal, unchanging, absolute character of God—and evil is the opposite of His character. His perspective is comprehensive; there isn’t a situation that catches Him by surprise. Just as He is an entity independent of our views who does not change, good and evil are also absolutely defined. And the battle is raging between His forces and those of the enemy. We have a choice which camp we want to support with our thoughts and actions.
Choosing a side
There is right and wrong in our world, and there is good and evil in our world—and they are in conflict, in our world. We can’t be like Tolkien’s ents and stand back saying this isn’t our fight. We are part of this world, and the fight’s coming to us whether or not we pick up or swords and shields.
Ultimately, good will win. This is another truth demonstrated in fantasy that applies to reality. But until we reach the end of the story, we must fight to uphold what is right and hold back the forces of destruction.
Is it hard to know what is right in every situation? Yes, definitely. But is good still worth fighting and striving for? Yes, absolutely. We can do that when we refine our confused perspective to match God’s perfect perspective by getting to know Him and studying what He says is right. Then we act on it. When we’re able to recognize the goblins in our lives, we’ll know how to fight and defend against them accordingly.
Do you believe there is a standard of right and wrong outside of yourself or your society? Has a story helped you see this standard in a real situation?
Come back next time to find out the key to saving the world!
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Series Introduction: How Stories Help Us See Life Clearly
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