What’s a book or movie that genuinely scared you?
No work of fiction has ever truly frightened me, but accounts of history’s dark side—above all the Holocaust—have made my hair stand on end. Who, then, would go chasing after a genuinely scary story, whether fictional or real?
Writers and screenwriters rarely set out to scare; they aim to inspire, or to hold a mirror to reality’s cruelty. One reader takes a story as a happy anecdote, another as a sudden heart attack.
Scripts drawn from history, however, tend to carry the lessons of the past. Trauma—whether self-inflicted or system-derailed—springs from one root: sin (Romans 3:23; 5:12). The Holocaust is the starkest proof: there, sin scaled from personal act into system, stripping choice from millions and sweeping victims and perpetrators alike into a machine none could stop. That is why history’s darkest scripts unsettle us more than any fiction—they show what happens when sin runs unchecked, until no one holds the reins of their own life. Sin spares no age, and ignorance of the law is no defence. Its worst consequences are the loss of control over one’s own life, and death itself. This, perhaps, is the central message so many books and films try to deliver.
Happily or sadly, we are each our own scriptwriter, performing live on the stage of reality under the eyes of Almighty God. Some create endearing moments; others play every episode as an ignorant cast member—or worse, as a fearsome earthly dweller. So: a cast role or a genuine role—which would you play?
During my working years, I cautioned several hundred teenagers against mischief liable to criminal prosecution. To every child who stood before me I put one question: “What is the greatest fear in life?” None could answer. But when I told them it was the loss of control over their own lives, they burst into tears—and repented. Tears may dry, and life may begin afresh, yet the wound may carry them for a lifetime.
Who, then, can truly guide and protect you from losing control of your life—or release you from sin? Scripture says that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, yet the Son of God, Jesus Christ, sets you free (John 8:34–36).
A delinquent’s repentance opens the door to a fresh start in the flesh; a sinner’s repentance grants a born-again life. Ignorance of the court’s law is no defence—but ultimately, God’s grace stands above eternal judgement.
So which role will you choose—remaining in the darkness, or transforming into the Light? May the lines below shed light on your reflection towards the Light.
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“Freedom Has a Price”
A life of freedom, self-cast roles;
Who’s right, who’s wrong—no line controls.
On stage, off stage, restraints released;
Restraints released—the world’s unrest increased.
The world’s unrest—fear permeates all;
Turning white to black, black clashes, black falls.
Turning black to white—a luminous way.
Freedom has a price—who’s there to pay?
The cost of freedom—He comes to pay.
