The Sad Spiritual Void of ’13 Reasons Why’

Even though I am a grown woman with a demanding career and a busy family, I started watching the new Netflix miniseries, “13 Reasons Why.”

Over six days, I carved out free time to stare at my TV or tablet like a woman obsessed. On the treadmill, early in the morning, late at night — any spare moment I could find was given over to the story of Hannah Baker. But like most addictions, I realized too late that what I was doing was bad for me. It was toxic.

If only Hannah Baker had known about Christ. If only she had confidence knowing that her life had purpose.

On a side note, if your kids are watching the series or reading the book, you need to be aware of the story’s subject matter and its explicit nature. Based on the best-selling novel by Jay Asher, “13 Reasons Why” is the story of a teenage girl who leaves behind a set of tapes explaining why she committed suicide. She gives 13 reasons; each tape is dedicated to a specific person and how that individual affected her in a traumatic way. The show has been criticized for glorifying suicide, and in a way, it does. But it also deals with the consequences of actions and the true impact people can have on one another.

However, there is no hope in the story. There’s no mention of God other than a brief scene of a family bowing to pray before dinner and one character claiming he’s Catholic. And as the story unfolds, it grows sadder and sadder —because it becomes more and more obvious that no one has peace. There’s no light, redemption, or forgiveness.

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For Hannah’s fictional friends and family, there was nothing but grief and suffering. There was no comfort. For those who hurt her, there was only accusation and blame and guilt. There was no offer of grace. How depressing. How incredibly and utterly dark.

The show is truly tragic. The idea of a life lost — and even worse, of a young woman choosing to end her own life — made me think of how lost she really must have been, not merely emotionally but spiritually. And even though the story is fictional, I kept thinking: If only Hannah Baker had known about Christ. If only she had confidence knowing that her life had purpose. If only someone had told her about Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This week I read John 3, which I have likely read dozens of times. It is the story of Nicodemus coming to see Jesus under the cover of night. Of course, John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. It says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

But what stood out to me were verses 19 and 20, in which Jesus goes on to say, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

The show “13 Reasons Why” revolves around secrets. Each character has done something and is attempting to conceal that secret because it is incriminating. Each character had a role in killing Hannah Baker — and was willing embrace to his or her own depravity and deny the truth in an effort to avoid consequences.

Related: Healing Is a Vocation for the Faithful

It’s just a story, although intriguing and also nauseatingly distressing. These characters all chose darkness over light; they chose deception over honesty. And I realized that if it were not for Christ, I might be no different. Apart from the Holy Spirit, I might also stay in the concealing comfort of darkness, no matter how damning.

Hannah Baker is simply a creation of the imagination, but I still cried for her. I grieved with her parents. I sympathized with her classmates. But I ended the series ever more grateful for the gift of salvation, the assurance of forgiveness, the promise of purpose. I thanked God for knowing the truth of sin and corruption, and having the opportunity for mercy.

Related: ’13 Reasons Why’ Is Embroiled in Controversy

“13 Reasons Why” reminded me of the importance of sharing true hope and not merely kindness. Light eliminates darkness and exposes wrongdoing, but it also reveals the path to salvation.

Christ came to save the world. He came to give abundant life. He died and rose to make a path of forgiveness from God. I would hate the thought of contributing to someone’s hopelessness — but how much more would I hate knowing I never shared with them the hope of eternity with Christ?