THE word fell into my heart like the first droplet of Spring from an icicle: “There is coming a “Lord of the Flies” moment.”

If you have seen the motion picture The Lord of the Flies, then read on. If you haven’t, you will need to rent it or read the book before continuing (WARNING: the film’s language is raw, but real). I honestly believe it is a picture of what is happening in the world, and what is coming, and that Christ is bringing this picture back to memory for a reason. When I watched this movie recently, keeping in mind the “word” I seemed to hear from the Lord, it blew my mind.

I will only outline here what the characters and situations symbolize (which is why you need to know the story to connect the dots) with a very a brief explanation at the end of how this story applies so powerfully to our moment in history. If you can, rent this movie and see it again.

THE SYMBOLS

Ralph represents the Church.
Jack represents totalitarian democratic governments.
The Pilot represents the dignity of human life.
Simon represents goodness and beauty.
Piggy represents truth and justice.
The Hunters represent Persecution.
The Twins represent the Apostasy
The Pig represents materialism and consumerism.
The Pig’s Head represents the spirit of antichrist behind modernism
The Monster represents fear.
The Conch represents authority.
The Marine Commander represents Christ.

As I write this explanation, keep the symbolisms and allegory in mind.

The turning point in this movie is subtle. It is when the boys consider the wounded pilot’s life not worth saving. He is seen as an “inconvenience”. This is symbolic of the child in the womb. From the moment we began to see this life in our society as dispensable, our common psyche began to change.

And so, Jack changes when blood is shed. He begins to paint his face with it, and those around him. It becomes a sign to be proud of, and a rite among the boys. So too, has death in it’s varied forms in our culture, from abortion to assisted suicide become a “right”. And the government of our day is proud to wear this blood on it’s face as a constitutional virtue!

As a result, the pilot (human dignity)–once guiding the boys to their destination–hides in a cave where he succumbs. Indeed, the intrinsic value of human life, once guiding our morals and laws, has succumbed to a new ideology. The boys end up actually fearing the pilot, mistaking him for a monster.

Rather than find and save the pilot, the boys had chosen to hunt a pig. The pig, and killing one, becomes the most important thing on the island. By this, Jack is able to draw all the other boys to himself. But it’s not just this; the boys also fear the monster, and by joining Jack–even against their best judgment–they feel secure. But it is a false security; they are still afraid. So too, materialism and comfort has consumed our society. But it is a false security. The Monster still lives; that is, we no longer trust one another because we no longer respect one another, nor ourselves. Being rescued is no longer the priority, but stuffing the senses. Dehumanized, the boys–or society–live in fear.

In the black of night, in a feeding frenzy on their kill, the boys see a light running toward them on the beach. Mistaking Simon with his light to be the Monster, they run out and spear him to death. So too, consumerism and the shallow pleasures of our sensual society has led us to mistake purity, wholesomeness, and true beauty as somehow antiquated, oppressive, and narrow-minded. Thus, the light-bearer of purity, the true image of man and woman, has been destroyed.

And now, the story begins to enter the present moment and the future. Piggy represents the voice of justice. He holds the conch; but he also bears the glasses which light the fires to not only keep them warm, but light the signal fire for their salvation. But having created their own system of justice, the boys do not want to hear the truth. And so, he too is killed.

Now, his glasses are used–not to see, not to create warmth, not to signal help–but to bring death. Even the twins are too afraid to protect Ralph; the pressure of having food, of not being persecuted, of wanting to live causes them to abandon Ralph.

And just when it seems that Ralph is to be destroyed completely, onto the scene comes a Marine commander. “What are you guys doing?” he asks.

And all at once, everyone begins to weep. Ralph weeps because he is saved. The boys weep because they are embarrassed. Jack weeps because he is guilty. Indeed… the Church will weep when it sees its persecution has ended; fallen and holy angels alike will weep when they see their Creator standing there with sorrow in his eyes; prime ministers and presidents, rulers and generals, kings and queens will suddenly stand powerless before a tall and mighty Lord. All creation will fall silent; all persecutors, all money-changers, all criminals, all murderers, all priests, all laymen, all people will cease activity as truth, reality, and everything false is brought to light in an instant.

This is The Lord of the Flies Moment.

And it is coming.