K-Pop Demon Hunters

 

Growing up in evangelical culture,

The word demon has come to possess a very negative connotation.

The script that I have subconsciously carried is this:

“Anything to do with demons or witches or witchcraft or the cult should be avoided.

Just engaging with them could allow the enemy to attack your mind.”

 

I didn’t realize that I still carried this script until I noticed myself feeling weird about a recent Netflix movie called K-pop Demon Hunters. 

My students loved it. 

They wanted to hear music from it.

But I knew nothing about it except that it had the word demon in it and I had no idea what that meant.

 

So last Saturday night, I watched the movie.

It was actually very good.

If you don’t know anything about it, here is a brief summary: 

 

A globally successful K-pop girl group named Huntr/x — made up of Rumi, Mira and Zoey — are secret demon hunters whose music helps protect the world from evil spirits.  

 

Their biggest challenge comes when a rival boy band called the Saja Boys is formed by demons to siphon the group’s fan-energy and aid the evil overlord Gwi-Ma in breaking the barrier between the human and demon realms.  

 

As the conflict escalates, Rumi must confront her hidden identity and the true cost of fame, friendship and fighting darkness.  

 

The way that the evil overlord gets to the human soul

Is through feelings of shame, self-doubt, self condemnation, and guilt.

He speaks negativity into their minds and snatches their souls.

He controls the inner voice and tells people  that they’re unworthy or broken.

 

Yet music has the power to keep the voices at bay, for it is 

Music that places a protective shield around the Earth and keeps the demons away. 

 

Is the music my style of music?

No. 

But is the music and its content safe for kids at school? 

Absolutely. 

 

When I return to school on Monday,

I saw one of my students you had requested a song from the movie.

I told her that I had watched the movie and she lit up.

When she got to music class that day, she told everyone in the room that I had seen it.

The next day, another one of my students came up to me and said I’m a K-pop demon.hunter 

And I was able to say, “Alright! You use music to fight those bad guys.”

By overcoming a deeply rooted, preconceived notion,

I was able to connect more deeply to my students

And no, without a doubt, that I was not promoting something bad.

 

Oh God,

Help us to remember that you live even outside of evangelical culture and 

Help us to find you in all things. 

Help us to connect with one another in community

And help us to overcome the demons in our lives through music, light, and the love that is you.

Amen.