Two scary tickets reminded me of Paul’s message to us

I am very afraid of horror movies. Last month, I turned 70 and went to see my first horror movie, a silent film from 1922. NosferatuI went because of the music composed and performed by the talented jazz pianist Peter Dasent. (I have to say the music was great, and not because he is my brother-in-law.)

I warned him that if it was too scary I would have to leave, but I needn’t have worried – it was old fashioned and the audience giggled at every frightening moment. But I went to the opera last Friday and Riding the Waveswhich terrified me.

I don’t know if I wish I hadn’t gone, it’s the first time I’ve ever had that thought. The semi-staged performance by Opera Australia was brilliant, Riding the Waves yes Musical versions of 1990s movies Lars von Trier’s account of the degradation, excommunication, rape and murder of a young married woman in Scotland is shocking in every detail, but also deeply harrowing.

I’m not criticising people who enjoy horror films as entertainment. I’ve heard that horror can be a very complex genre, sometimes with its own moral message. But in any case, what goes into your mind does matter: images can be hard to forget and can be traumatic, and not just to yourself. This newspaper recently reported on a porn-inspired Asphyxiation during intercourse, This can cause lifelong damage or even death.

There are certainly enough real-world horrors out there, from Gaza to Ukraine to homelessness and abuse in Melbourne. I’ve read that horror as entertainment is a luxury in a society where real horrors are relatively drowned out.

Thus, the advice the apostle Paul offered in his letter to the Christians in Philippi remains as wise and relevant today as ever: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.”

The psychological benefits are well-known and far-reaching, but the spiritual benefits are equally important. “Thinking” has also been translated as “contemplation” and “meditation,” emphasizing that he means to think intently.

Paul wanted people to focus on things that would edify and encourage them. He also knew that this would affect their practical lives, because actions flow from thoughts.