It’s no secret that the name of God is entirely absent from the book of Esther. God is most certainly present, as He always is, but His name—the simple utterance of it—is quite noticeably missing. Again, this isn’t a secret, but it is surprising. The Bible is, after all, a Him book (it’s all about Him) and so it’s curious that God is not talked about or praised in the book of Esther as He is elsewhere in His word.

When Netflix’s hit television show Stranger Things was announced back in the fog of 2015, I was immediately intrigued to say the very least.

Do you suppose even the trees grow weary because of sin? Not their sin, mind you—but ours. The Fall claimed more victims than mankind only: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21).