Reject the Void: Overcoming the Darkness of the Age
In the 2025 Marvel film, Thunderbolts*, the protagonists are pulled into a void created by the psychological trauma endured by one character. In fact, the dark place they enter reflects each character’s traumatic backgrounds, ensuring they surrender hope and give into despair. It’s darker thematic material than Marvel is known for, but it gives the film a voice and heart that is missing from so much of their more recent output. It’s also an apt analogy to what is happening in the real world, particularly in the social media landscape. The void is calling all of our names, and sadly, many are answering, “Here am I!”
The Void and Its Good Friend, Social Media
I spend too much time scrolling through my social media accounts. I am willing to admit that. I know my time could be better spent, but weaning myself has proven to be particularly difficult. I am making small gains, but it’s definitely a work in progress.
One thing my scrolling has taught me is that people like to complain. Or to dwell on all things negative, awful, and depressing. It’s “complain about this news story”, or “rage against this movie”, or “grumble about this ________ (fill in the blank)”. The 24/7 news cycle is built entirely on outrage. Pop culture conversations are predicated on loving this one thing at the expense of this other thing. The negativity is relentless. The void is calling our names, and we are walking in no questions asked. Surely there is a better way?
There are deeply problematic examples of this trend as well as more surface level annoyances. I don’t want to conflate these and leave the impression that they are equally as troubling. But I do think both ends of the spectrum say some fairly damning things about us. It seems obvious that we are grumblers by nature. That has been evident from the earliest pages of Scripture. If there is a way to complain or attack, humanity will find it.
The Void is Blackpilling Us All
In modern discourse, there is a term called “blackpilling”. Without diving into the origins of this word, all you really need to know is if someone has blackpilled, or swallowed the black pill, they have embraced a hopeless or nihilistic worldview. In other words, the void has taken them captive. There are no solutions, no hope for something better. Instead, there is an endless litany of grievances and offenses to rail against. Everything is captured by the void and in place of truth, beauty, and joy, we are left with emptiness and despair. Sadly, there are many people choosing to take the black pill.
On the more superficial end of the spectrum, we find the incessant griping about anything related to popular culture. Whether it be movies, music, books, sports, or myriad other things, if there is a conversation about a particular thing, you will find the void well represented. A comment as innocuous as, “I liked the new superhero movie!” is likely to be met with a level of vitriol and anger that will make your head spin. You see, in the void, we aren’t allowed to enjoy things.
Or, if you like something, it has to come at the expense of something else that others like. It’s a zero-sum game in the void. There is no room for simple pleasures in the void so please refrain from expressing any admiration or enjoyment. A steady stream of angry invectives is better for society.
Another example of the void is the things we choose to post on social media. I do what I can to curate my social media timelines, but even then, my feed is saturated with complaints and a general spirit of dissatisfaction. Sure, there are pockets of light and joy but those are quickly overwhelmed by denouncements and accusations. It’s as if it is Festivus every day and everyone is doing their best Frank Costanza impression, and not in a hilarious way.
The void rears its ugly head closer to home as well. I am part of my neighborhood’s HOA Facebook page. The number of complaints about the landscaping of our entrance is both comical and sad. (The landscaping and the entrance look great, for what it’s worth.) The page is filled with so much unhappiness; it’s a wonder these folks enjoy anything about their lives. The void tells us that this is the way to live. We should whine and complain about trivial things because we deserve better, but we know we will never get it.
The void has definitely captured the hearts of politicians, podcasters, and so many of the influential people in society. The void tells us that everything is terrible all the time and there is nothing that can be done. Sure, we give lip service to the ability of a political party to change things for the better, but at the end of the day, even if those changes happen, the goalposts shift and our discontentment finds a new target to attack. We want to believe that our social media raging will inspire positive change, but deep down, we have embraced the void, and we know we are happiest when life is grim and we have plenty to complain about.
And then there are the misery merchants who use their social media platforms to expose what they believe to be corruption and injustice. One could argue that it’s a noble task in some ways, but the end result is a constant barrage of outrage that poisons our view of our fellow man and erodes our trust in anything outside of our immediate and closest social circles.
Standing up to injustice, calling out corruption, and shining a light on the darkest areas of our society are important and noble tasks, if handled with pure and constructive motives. My experience tells me we fall short of those motivations too often. Based on what I can see, the purveyors of this sort of outrage content are more interested in clicks and engagement than they are with the greater good. And the ubiquitousness of this negativity numbs us to the point of absolute apathy. The void loves apathy.
A steady diet of misery and angst will eventually destroy our moral foundations as well, as we are conditioned to view everything and everyone with skepticism and scorn. The void tells us that the things we know and trust are faulty and broken. Embracing the void twists our moral clarity to the point where we can no longer see right from wrong. It’s why so many young men are running towards anti-Semitism and Nazy-coddling. It’s why so many women are defending murderers and accepting heretofore rejected destructive political and social philosophies.
When the void traps us in superficial areas, it begins to grasp and strain for the more important areas of our lives. It focuses its attention on our marriages, our relationships, our churches, and our spiritual lives. Embrace the void in the things that matter very little and soon you will find it chipping away at the things that matter most.
Stop Feeding the Void
So, what can we do about all of this, beyond swearing off all social media, every news channel, and 99.9% of all politicians? While I doubt it needs to be said, I will say it anyway: For believers, this void mindset is a rejection of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross and the Kingdom of Heaven that is alive and active in our midst. There is no room in the Christian life for blackpilling or the void. We are children of Light and our lives should reflect the Light of our Creator.
I am not advocating for naivete or turning a blind eye to the very real problems in the world. We should be “wise as serpents“, after all. But there is a very real danger in marinating in negativity too much. It warps our vision, skews our perspective, and paralyzes our actions. The nihilistic whisper of the void might feel easy and comforting at first, but eventually it will lead us hopelessness and despair.
For believers giving into the void might look a little different than it does for the secular world, but it’s just as detrimental. I see this play out with believers looking at the ever-growing darkness and deciding that it is best to simply pull away from it all. Scripture calls us “aliens and strangers“, so why should we not isolate ourselves from the encroaching void?
I get the impulse. Our very own enclaves of light sound comforting. But our “alienness” is not meant to be an excuse to check out. The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now, and we are called to carry the light to a world that has given itself over to the void. When our response to the constant barrage of darkness is to turn our back and wash our hands of the world, we are as guilty as non-believers choosing nihilism or hopelessness. In fact, I would argue we are more guilty because we are actively hiding the Light of the Creator that is meant for everyone to see.
If you find yourself growing cold, losing hope, and wavering in what you know is good and true and right, stop feeding the void. Cut out the sources of your online routine that provide a steady drip of grievances and negativity. It is possible to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed by it all. Be ruthless in how you curate your online feeds. If there are certain accounts that consistently push you towards the void, mute them, unfollow them, or even block them if needed. I have been doing this recently and it is absolutely helping.
Engage in good faith, looking for ways to make conversations more productive, even when there is disagreement. Too often, we look for easy ways to attack, cheap shots to unbalance our “opponent” when we are in the middle of some online debate. If you find yourself going down this road, stop and reevaluate your motives. If the purpose of the debate is true discussion and greater understanding, then cheap shots have no place there. Engage with kindness, honesty, and gentleness of spirit. Even online, there is no room in the Christian’s heart of acrimony and vitriol.
Next, choose the way of gratitude. I won’t belabor this point as we have published numerous articles on being grateful and thankful. You can read a few of those here and here. Refuse to be the complainer in your social circle. The more you feed that mindset, the harder it will be to cut it off when it grows too large. Start now while you still have the upper hand. Set your mind on things above. That way lies contentment, joy, and peace.
The Light Overcomes the Void
In Thunderbolts*, the heroes are able to overcome the void by finding grace for one another, even though each has a past that is checkered with mistakes and bad decisions. And by leaning on one another for strength, knowing that they are better united than divided. The void is real and sometimes it can look wonderfully inviting, but it’s full of empty promises and lonely brokenness. If the void has you, be honest with yourself about how you got there and reach out to your community to help you find your way out.
The void is too destructive to simply surrender to it. There is a better way to live. A way of joy, beauty, truth, and light. As strong as the void is, we can be assured that the light is stronger still. Jesus told us that “[We] are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Shine your light. Reject the void.
“It is not strength that overcomes the darkness, but light. Hearts may fail, yet still, light endures and is mightier than strength. For in its presence, all darkness must flee.”
The Rings of Power – Celebrimbor
- Reject the Void: Overcoming the Darkness of the Age - August 21, 2026
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This is amazingly relevant for the time in which we live! I hope it can be widely disseminated, read, and heeded.