Grimdark, real and fictional

Which is better, to be aware of the real, or to live in fantasies until the flood of horrors and atrocities take the field?

There are many now who have a strong interest in the literary genre grimdark, in reaction against the syrupy sweetness and “happily-ever-after” stories that do not reflect the reality of the human condition, and such desiring to be in-touch-with-reality souls would likely have a strong interest in hearing of the MOTHER of all grimdark — and the REAL grim darkness this unholy spiritual harlot is going to foist upon the children of light, in collaboration with a beast empowered by a dragon.

As I’m talking of entities in the spirit world impacting our physical lives, I will use Christian — biblical — terminology to make things clearer; this has been called the “symbolic vocabulary” of the book of Revelation.

Fictional dystopias are mirage reflections of what is actually on-the-ground being prepared by the spirit-prince of sorcerers. It’s coming, and many are young enough to possibly find themselves in its horrors and atrocities. Me, a few weeks from 83, may not see it. In any event, reality will swallow up fiction. It is on my heart to give folks a heads-up.

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When our own nations, yes, our own cultures, even our neighborhoods, yes, and our own homes and families, fail in humaneness, monstrously turning against us — the children of light . . .

We then will have to rely on the reality that our community, our citizenship (from the Greek, politeuma, Philippians 3:20) is in Heaven, and upon earth it is the local church to which we belong, they being vital sectors of God’s kingdom on earth. But even this solidarity and safety will be overrun — so the prophecies of Scripture warn us.

The true — and real — grimdark is the coming war of biblical Armageddon against the Christians, of which Oct. 7 for the Jews was a brief cameo.

Still, it shall turn out to be a eucatastrophe (superlative good coming out of apparent awful disaster), per Tolkien’s phrase, when the Lord Jesus intervenes, the slaughtered are raised from the dead hale and glorious (God Himself wiping away their tears), and the wicked consigned to the lake of fire.

The horrific trial of Armageddon will be a purifying furnace, and we overcome in faithful loyalty to and trust of our Messiah-Christ — despite the worst the dragon, Satan, throws at us — and God’s presence will be with us, that we be “Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” of His glorious kingdom (Colossians 1:11, 12). This is a solemn promise of the Lord to sustain us by the strength of His presence in the time of pain. Bottom line: we trust Him, come hell or high water.

From the hymn, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty stanza 4, that put it like this:

     Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness and sin
     are abounding,
     who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue
     confounding,
     sheddeth His light,
     chaseth the horrors of night,
     saints with His mercy surrounding.

Meaning: in the midst of evil actually triumphing, the Lord of glory sheds His light into the soul and diminishes the horror by His presence, like when, in olden times, believers who were being burned at the stake for their faith in Christ and His gospel, were able to sing and rejoice — so strong was the comfort of Christ’s presence in their awareness, drowning out the pain.

O you saints, learn to walk close to our God, that we be ready for suffering. I would be lying if I said otherwise.