Fairy Tales

I love fairy tales! When I was a kid, I read every fairy tale I could get my hands on, from many different cultures. Now, with the trend of retelling fairy tales, and making TV series and movies based on fairy tales, I've been really excited... but the retellings are a bit wanting, in my opinion. I wrote in a previous post that I love happy endings. The happy ending is an integral part of a fairy tale! I was reading an interesting new weaving of fairy tales recently, but the main characters were ALL monsters! This was a bit frustrating for me because, as I was telling Shorty, there is a REASON that there are "good guys" in fairy tales, and there is a REASON for monsters. People did not previously aspire to become monsters! The reason for monsters and dragons in fairy tales is so that they can be defeated.

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed." -- G. K. Chesterton

Now as I was looking for this quote, (I had been told that it was from Hans Christian Anderson) I found lots of threads suggesting that fairy tales are unnecessary or even detrimental to children. After reading some of them, I can only come to the conclusion that much of my generation is living without hope. They see fairy tales as wishful thinking. And "happily ever afters" as foolishness. I see fairy tales as a dim reflection of the gospel-- certainly not adequate, but a starting place. =) You have a character (or characters) in need-- all mankind sinned in Adam and are guilty before God. You have a hero who is able to satisfy the need-- God became man, satisfied the righteous requirement of the law, and then died as payment for the sins of His people. And of course, there is the "happily ever after" when everything in the story is set to rights-- one day Christ will return to judge the world and finally and fully deliver his people from the presence of sin! I'm waiting for happily ever after! =)

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
Titus 1:1-3
 
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5
 
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Revelation 21:1-7
 
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 22:1-5