Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, September 22, 2023
A couple of Halloweens ago, one of our neighbors – a rather eccentric guy – discomfited the more sensitive souls on his street by acquiring a department-store mannequin, wigging and painting and dressing it to resemble a movie horror figure, and placing it in an upstairs window. I called her Matilda, though her exhibitor (whom I’ve never spoken to about her) probably has his own name for her.
Neighbors who fervently hoped that this was a short-lived Halloween phenomenon gnashed their teeth when Matilda remained through Christmas and beyond, ghoulish as ever, but now sporting a Santa hat.
Then she disappeared – only to reappear a couple of weeks ago with added accessories: a new curly wig, and pulsing red lights for eyes.
Here’s something I find interesting. Even though I haven’t seen the horror movie “The Ring,” the YouTube clips I’ve seen of it makes me think that Matilda is based on her, especially wearing her previous totally-black, longhaired wig from before.
But since I never let myself be enveloped in “The Ring’s” horror plot, seeing Matilda causes no visceral fear within me, the way it might someone – especially someone younger—who might have seen it. Similarly, clowns do not frighten me in the least, though they might cause an unpleasant sensation to those who saw the movie based on Stephen King’s horror novel “It.” I haven’t seen this movie either, so I’ve never regarded clowns with anything but benign amusement.
Okay, where am I going with this? I think it’s vitally important that we – to use a recently repurposed word – curate what goes into our minds. When I was a kid, I sometimes read scary stories, which fed my very active imagination and sometimes made it hard to get to sleep at night.
Paul put this idea into these memorable words:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Want to see other Bible thinking about entertainment? Click the link just below: