Every now and again, I have really, truly messed up dreams. They are not classified as nightmares only because of the way I experience them - as a viewer of media; invisible, immune, safe.
Last night I had one such dream. Upon my waking and natural first reflections, I was surprised to remember that it was actually a dream and not a movie or show that I fell asleep watching. In fact, I did not fall asleep watching anything last night.
No, this was a product of my own imagination. I was slightly alarmed that it was in fact my own dream. It was long, complex, dark, and a surprisingly cohesive and not at all meandering plot. As a reader/writer, I immediately identified it as a pre-packaged story; a "freebie," if you will. All I have to do is sit down and write it out!
However.
Part of me considers such dark and evil writing to be dangerously self-indulgent and prideful. It would serve only to showcase my imagination and writing skills...would it not? How would it serve God? There is already so much evil in the world. I wish to engender encouragement and love.
However however.
I also consider dark and evil in storytelling to be an essential antithesis to the ultimate arc in both fiction and life; triumph over it by the Light; agents of God, both proverbial and literal. Our talents and gifts are meant to serve God by serving each other, and grand epiphany via the placebo of an escapist fantasy is a legitimate way to bring someone to Christ. People don't always want to take their medicine, after all.
I'm struggling with the decision on whether or not I should commit this dream to words or let it fade into the cloudy dumping ground of the rest of my forgotten dreams. Am I being charitable by saving my would-be readers from this evil, or am I being selfish and ignoring a way to translate my faith?
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