Dispatches from Home: Escapism. A Blessing or Curse?

For those who know me, you know I adore period movies or television series. Gone With the Wind, Sunset Boulevard, Brideshead Revisited, Midsomer Murders, and Downton Abbey are but a few of the celluloid masterpieces that allow me to do one thing—escape. In this insanely perplexing chasm we call life, there are times when escapism seems to be our only option.

Today, I went to see 1917. I sat in the dark, watching the flickering shadows and bursts of color as the sounds of war surrounded me. And for a brief moment in time, I was there, slogging through the hell and death of WWI’s muddy, rat-infested trenches. There’s nothing wrong with escaping into another world, forgetting your cares, and living in someone else’s boots. Nothing wrong, right?

When escapism becomes an attractive solution to our day-to-day problems, leading us to run from them rather than face them, there’s trouble afoot. Generally, when the going gets tough, we get going in the opposite direction. Perhaps you play the blame game. “It’s not my fault.” “Other people were unkind to me.” “I can’t face all that life dumps on me.” Yes, I know that of which you speak. I, too, have played that game!

However, when I did, life’s chasm closed in on me, squeezing the breath from my lungs. I then looked upward and discovered a much-needed escape—the loving arms of a merciful God. He taught me that when conflicts and difficulties arise, it’s best to run to them, not from them. Escapism is suitable for a moment, but like a misty morning, it quickly fades. And when it does, your problems have not been solved. Learn to face them. Embrace them. Challenge them. But don’t run from them! In the end, you’ll be thankful you did.

Kind regards, Anthony