Pull back from the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s so tempting to give into it, I know. It seems like the answer. Become a demon to defeat the demons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that way lies destruction. It\u2019s the one ring. In destroying the evil, you will become the evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remind yourself of that. Keep reminding yourself. Because if you forget, all is lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been waiting for my mind to clear since Wednesday\u2026 it\u2019s still not fully clear. I got sucked into a Facebook argument for the first time in a long while and that didn\u2019t really help. But I think I needed to say the thing that kicked it off. I don\u2019t think just letting things go is working. Just let it go and keep the peace and then one day your friend cheers for your death\u2026 or at least justifies it for your murderer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to wait also because at first I just felt rage. I felt the darkness pulling at me. And so I had to take a couple of days to pull out of it. To remind myself. And now I think I\u2019m there. I think I can write something that might be helpful to someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had been wanting to make a happier post about Kpop Demon Hunters, a movie that I never thought I would watch, and certainly never thought I would recommend. I don\u2019t necessarily agree with every single element of the film – mainly there\u2019s a bit of LGBT imagery, very subtle, but the filmmaker has confirmed that element. In my opinion, that\u2019s the weakest bit of the story, tying into Rumi being half-demon. The movie unapologetically paints demons as being bad, the only one we\u2019re led to have any sympathy for is a demonized human named Jinu. While the movie doesn\u2019t expound on the nature of demons very much, it seems that demons are either DEMON demons or demonized humans. Since demons, and the demonic aspects of the demonized humans are clearly evil, some of what they do with Rumi (she\u2019s half demon by birth, because her father was a demon (presumably a demonized human?) doesn\u2019t really work. But I won\u2019t get into it, because it doesn\u2019t matter for my purposes, and I don\u2019t want to give any big spoilers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The movie is kind of a musical, there\u2019s several songs and they all tie into the plot. If you haven\u2019t seen it and want a total clean slate, stop reading, but there are only going to be what I consider to be very minor spoilers here. I\u2019m going to share videos of 2 songs, because they\u2019re directly relevant to what I want to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I guess I also should explain the basic premise of the movie. There\u2019s a Kpop girl band called Huntrix, and the 3 ladies in it are a team of demon hunters. Essentially through their music they hold the demons at bay, barring them from our world – and sometimes they slash them up a bit with some sort of spiritual weapons should they get through. Gwi-Ma is sort of the king of demons, a Satan figure I suppose, and he sends Jinu and some other apparently demonized humans to form a Kpop boy band called the Saja Boys, and they\u2019re what I\u2019d consider the primary antagonists of the movie. So one of the songs I\u2019ll share is from Huntrix, and the other the Saja Boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first song is called Takedown. Here\u2019s a link to the video, and I\u2019ll reference some lyrics below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l8Dr7vzMSVE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like I said, I am going to keep the spoilers minor, and really only reference what I have to of the plot to make my point. When they\u2019re writing this song, it\u2019s controversial. Rumi feels uncomfortable with the lyrics because they\u2019re full of hate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c’Cause I see your real face and it’s ugly as sin And if those words aren\u2019t enough, we get this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA demon with no feelings, don’t deserve to live, it’s so obvious\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n and<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ma cut you open, lose control, then rip out your heart Part of what makes this film as popular as it is is that the plot isn\u2019t obviously explicitly about anything in the real world. You can look at the story and grasp on to points of meaning as they relate to you. That\u2019s not to say that it has no message though, or that the message is totally relative. Because while I could apply the demons this song is talking about to the guy that murdered Charlie Kirk and the people that take joy in that; and you might apply the demons this song is talking about to be Donald Trump and MAGA, and I suppose me, the point of this song in the context of the film is that whoever you perceive the demons to be, hatred isn\u2019t the right course of action. And in fact that hatred is going to be turned back against you to destroy you. I could get more explicit with the plot, but I think you should just watch it, and then you\u2019ll understand. Like I said, it\u2019s the ring. Maybe you\u2019ll \u201cwin\u201d, but in your victory you will become what you hate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now for song 2, this one is called \u201cYour Idol\u201d. I\u2019ll probably quote most of the lyrics from this one, because what it\u2019s talking about is really how the darkness gets in. To set the stage, as you\u2019ll see when you watch the video, at this point the mask is off, they\u2019re quite obviously demons, and the crowd is entranced. And let me tell you, at this point in time, there\u2019s a lot of people entranced by demons with their masks off right now. The trouble is, when you\u2019re entranced, you can\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/youtu.be\/cWppAbqm9I8?si=D4PXNJu85q9A70jj<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeeping you in check, keeping you obsessed I’m the only one who’ll love your sins The biggest theme that runs through the film is the idea of shame, and that\u2019s one of the key ways that demons control us. To quote St. Silouan the Athonite, \u201cUnderstand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, “You are a saint,” and the other, “You won’t be saved.” Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How does this tie in to what I\u2019ve been talking about? When you\u2019re going after those demons, singing your takedown song, you\u2019re thinking of yourself as a saint. And that\u2019s what the demons will tell you. But then, as you give into the hate, as you become like them, eventually you\u2019re going to have that aha moment and see what you\u2019ve become, and then you\u2019re going to feel shame. And that\u2019s when their message turns into \u201cno one could love you, God can\u2019t save you, I\u2019m all you have\u2026 \u2018I\u2019m the only one who\u2019ll love your sins.\u2019 Every word of it is a lie, but so often we believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen ’cause I’m preachin’ to the choir \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t let it show, keep it all inside<\/em> There\u2019s a lot to say here. Again, keep in mind these are demons, these are liars. It\u2019s the darkness calling out on you. You can rely on me, don\u2019t you know I\u2019m here to save you? This is exactly how evil works, tricking us into thinking its good, tricking us into thinking its our way out. And then as we recognize our evil deeds, we become obsessed, thinking we can\u2019t go back. It\u2019s never too late to go back. It\u2019s never too late to repent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLiving in your mind now Lies upon lies. You\u2019re so far in there\u2019s no turning back. \u201cToo late, you\u2019re mine now.\u201d And then this is where the true despondency kicks in, when you realize the demon you\u2019ve been listening to isn\u2019t going to love you when the world burns down, it is itself what\u2019s going to set the world on fire. It\u2019s not going to save you, NO ONE is coming to save you – but that\u2019s the final lie, because God still can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding this is an edit, in hopes no one has read it yet. I forgot to say that another key theme of the film is isolation. The demons try to isolate you, to use the shame and fear to drive you apart. We have to connect. We have to stop seeing people as enemies. The truth is that you see demons where there are none, and if you even believe in actual demons, you’re probably completely unaware of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a really odd post, I recognize that, but I think it makes sense. It\u2019s the most sense I can make of the world right now, anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t know the way out. God knows. But I do know the way to destruction, and that\u2019s to run into the darkness, to embrace the demons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pull back from the brink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fly, you fools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flee the darkness, or it will consume you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pull back from the darkness. It\u2019s so tempting to give into it, I know. It seems like the answer. Become a demon to defeat the demons. But that way lies destruction. It\u2019s the one ring. In destroying the evil, you will become the evil. Remind yourself of that. Keep reminding yourself. Because if you forget, … Continue reading Darkness<\/span> \n
Time to put you in your place ’cause you’re rotten within
When your patterns start to show
It makes the hatred wanna grow outta my veins\u201d
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
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You’ll be beggin’ and cryin’, all of you dyin’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
Play me on repeat, endlessly in your head
Anytime it hurts, play another verse
I can be your sanctuary
Know I’m the only one right now<\/em>
I will love you more when it all burns down<\/em>
More than power, more than gold<\/strong>\u00a0
Yeah, you gav\u0435 me your heart, now I’m her\u0435 for your soul<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feel the way my voice gets underneath your skin\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
Can I get the mic a little higher?
Gimme your desire
I can be the star you rely on (You rely on)
You’re lost in my daze, yeah, you can’t look away<\/em> (Hey)
Don’t you know I’m here to save you?<\/em>
Now we runnin’ wild<\/em>
Yeah, I’m all you need, I’ma be your idol<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight<\/em>
Your obsession feeds our connection<\/strong>
So right now give me all your attention\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
Too late ’cause you’re mine now
I will make you free<\/em>
When you’re all part of me<\/em>
Listen ’cause I’m<\/em> Preaching to the choir
Can I get the mic a little higher?
Gimme your desire
Watch me set your world on fire
You’re lost in my daze, yeah, you can’t look away
No one is coming to save you<\/strong>
Now we runnin’ wild
You’re down on your knees, I’ma be your idol\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n