I’ve recently become addicted to a television show about a serial killer. Dexter is a Blood Spatter Analyst for Miami Metro Police and is the main character in a Showtime program by the same name. I watched the first two seasons on Netflix and was hooked by the unusual nature that Dexter goes about choosing his victims. He only murders individuals that have themselves committed murder, and for whatever reason have escaped justice.
The show is based on a fictional series written by Jeff Lindsay. Though many of the characters are the same, including the title role, many of the similarities end here. It is also one of the few occasions that I can justifiably say that the visual media produced as a result of the literary work is far better. The depth and character development are far superior and make it easy to identify with many of the characters.
To say that a show about a serial killer that paints the killer as the anti-hero may seem disturbing on the surface. Digging into Dexter’s character a little deeper reveals that he holds the same sense of justice that we all have. When injustice happens in the world, we all ask “why?”. Those that believe in God invariably wonder how, if He is truly good, could allow horrible things to happen to good people. In this case, Dexter acts as the hand of God to balance the scales of justice by serving up (albeit a feral and earthly brand) justice on those that escape punishment.
Dexter has an inner demon that calls on him to make sacrifices in order to maintain his sanity. He feels wholly separated from those around him. At the same time that he desires distance between himself and those around him, they confide in him more than any other. They trust him with their secrets. Rely on him to always come through in a pinch.
-Another parallel observed-
A Christian will often confide in those that don’t believe in God because (there is a perception at least) they won’t experience the same judgment. Christians are very good at burning their own, or at the very least abandoning them in times of misconduct. Distance from the fault is key to not being caught up in the mistake. After all, isn’t it catchable?
Sometimes sin is not doing anything at all.
We all make mistakes. *Gasp!*
I’m not suggesting that we all become homicidal serial killers in the name of justice, though I know a few people who are tempted to do so. Instead, I’m suggesting we adopt some grace in our interactions with each other. None of us has the market cornered on perfection. In addition, rather than pushing people away when we find ourselves knee-deep in…errrr….well, you get the picture; we should honestly confess our need and rely on the brotherhood of believers to carry us through. If the support isn’t there, as it should be, those not providing it will have to answer to a much higher justice than any of us are capable of understanding.
