Tonight, in 3D, I got to experience one of my favorite childhood movies. Yes, I am talking about The Lion King! As a child, i enjoyed the bright colors, the funny characters, and the AMAZING soundtrack (I was that elementary kid on the playground singing "I just can't wait to be King" with my friends and telling them how off-key or flat they were....which, if you know me, is not far from how I sing with friends today! haha) But now, as an adult, there are completely different things that I love about the movie-still the funny characters and the amazing soundtrack, but most importantly I LOVE how the movie mirrors our relationship with God and His love for us! Through the whole movie, I annoyingly whipped out my phone every few minutes to jot down notes for tonight's blog, so it is going to be a long one, as I go through the movie sort of explicating from it our relationship with God. I honestly, think it will be so worth it for you to read, as it was for me to listen to as God nudged my Spirit towards this new discovery. So bare with me and let's get started.
Right off the bat, I will mention "The Circle of Life" song. What is happening during this song is Simba's birth. (Now, if you are unfamiliar with the movie BLASPHEMERS then I will explain what I can, but it might get redundant for those of you very familiar with the movie) Simba is yes, you guessed it, a lion. The king? Not yet. He is the son of Mufasa-who is the actual king. So during this song, simba has been born and all of the animals in the kingdom have shown up to see him! Rafiki (crazy baboon "medicine man" figure in the animal kingdom) is like, anointing him and preparing him for his first public appearance I assume (I mean I don't really know what goes on except for what I see on Animal Planet!) At the end of the song, Rafiki takes Simba and holds him high in the air for all to see, at which point all animals bow down to one knee, honoring the new prince. This small scene, which happens the first 2 minutes of the movie, gave me chills. I kept thinking, this is what it feels like to witness all creation bowing down to the King. "Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess." It was a beautiful scene!
Simba grows up to be a young and very curious lion cub, always testing limits and asking questions-just like new Christians when growing in their faith. Mufasa takes Simba out to show him the kingdom and tells him that all of it will be his, "everything the light touches." Which not only foreshadows spiritual warfare between the two kingdoms (light and dark, good and evil) but also shows us the relationship between the King (a Father) and the prince (his son). Mufasa takes his time to teach Simba the things he is going to need to know later in life not only in order to survive, but in order to rule as future king.
Scar, the brother of Mufasa and the villain of the movie, would have inherited the throne and been the next King but Simba was born and threw a wrench into his plan. Meaning, of course in Disney fashion, he was out to kill both Mufasa and Simba in order to be king. He plants the idea to Simba of going to the elephant graveyard, a place the light most certainly does not touch, in hopes that his hyena menions will kill him. Being the curious cub that he is, he goes, placing both he and his friends who are with him in danger of being killed. But like a good and faithful father, Mufasa shows up to rescue Simba-just like our good and faithful Heavenly Father shows up without fail when we need to be rescued.
After Mufasa defeats the evil hyenas he tells the others to leave so he can then discipline his son-another vital part to Christian growth. Our Papa in Heaven gently (and not so gently) disciplines us out of love, in order to protect us from harming ourselves and destroying our lives. As Simba walks up to his father, preparing for that discipline, he steps in his dad's giant paw print. What an awesome way to not only symbolize how we are to walk in Christ's footsteps but also that they are mighty large "paws" to fill-our little paws are still learning and growing, and always going to need our Father's footsteps to follow.
During this father and son moment that we get to witness between Mufasa and Simba, we hear Mufasa tell his eager son that he is only brave when he has to be, that he doesn't go out looking for trouble. He gently reprimands his young son, correcting his behavior as a way to teach him to better his life. He then playfully reminds Simba that "nobody messes with your dad!" (which is also a wonderful way to look at God, because even when we are spiritually attacked-we should not fear, because God has already won the battle over evil for us!) As they play in the grass, and wrestle around, I was reminded of something I heard from a friend in my Life Group--about how important it is for a father and son to play in that manner, not only because it sets the son straight on who the boss of this relationship is, but also because it reminds the son that 'my dad is big and will protect me' sort of deal.
Due to Scar's manipulation (like that of the devil), Simba ended up in another dangerous situation, where he winds up in the middle of a deadly stampede. Faithfully, his father comes to his rescue again, only this time ultimately leading to Mufasa's death. Like the devil, Scar goes to Simba feeding him lies like "if it weren't for you, he would still be alive" making Simba fear going back home or reaching out to friends and family for comfort, because he blamed himself and believed others would too. With Mufasa gone, Simba could not find or hear the truth and so easily believed the lies the enemy told him. As we mature is Christians, this is a constant struggle. Keeping God and His Word close at hand and buried in our hearts so that we are living our lives on a foundation of Truth, setting apart the lies we hear from the devil.
So Simba runs away, like we all do at different stages in our lives, and essentially becomes just a big hippie. A big lion hippie who, instead of taking responsibility for his life and living out his true identity, runs away and says things like "Hakunah Matata" (meaning, "it means no worries" for all of you Lion King newbies out there.) After reuniting with his friend Nala, who challenges Simba to live out his rightful place as King, he runs away again (sound familiar? We? People? Great runners.) Then the most critical and important scene in the whole movie happens....Simba's encounter with Rafiki.
Simba is seeking and questioning, and ultimately, just LOST and he yells up to the sky "you said you'd always be there for me....but you're not!" which is about the time crazy Rafiki enters. I will do my best to sketchily transcribe their conversation, as it is the most vital part of being a Christian today, finding our identity in Christ.
Rafiki chants.
Simba Creepy monkey. Will you cut it out? Who are you?
Rafiki The question is...who....are you?
Simba I thought I knew....now I'm not so sure.
Rafiki Well I know who you are, shh, come here it's a secret. (Starts crazily chanting again)
Simba What is that supposed to mean?
Rafiki It means you are a baboon...and I am not.
Simba Uh, I think you're a little confused.
Rafiki Wrong! I am not the one who's confused, you don't even know who you are!
Simba Oh and I suppose you know.
Rafiki Sure do. You're Mufasa's boy.....BYE (runs away)
**First, let me make the connection here and unpack to you what I am thinking and meditating on this part of the scene. When asked who he is Mufasa doesn't know, because he has forgotten WHOSE he is. Until Rafiki makes the connection. He doesn't answer the question of who Simba is by saying "lion, animal, Simba, Disney character, etc" He answers by stating WHOSE Simba is, who is Father is defines who Simba is.
Simba Wait! You knew my father?
Rafiki Correction. I know your father.
Simba I hate to tell you this, but...he died. A long time ago.
Rafiki NOPE! Wrong again! He's alive! And I show him to you! You follow Rafiki he knows the way!
**PAUSE. What happens here is Simba, so desperate to see his father, trusts Rafiki and decides to follow him. The run through a thicket of thorns and branches and obstacles and darkness (often like we feel sometimes) in order to get to where they are going, which is a body of water.
Rafiki Stop! Shh...look down there (points to water)
Simba carefully and cautiously looks out over the water, hopeless as he only sees his own reflection. (**Sometimes we live our lives in a way that does not reflect who we belong to, who lives inside of us. And when faced with our own reflection, only find ourselves.)
Simba That's not my father. It's just my reflection.
Rafiki No. Look....harder.
As Rafiki touches the water, Simba's reflection turns into Mufasa's image.
Rafiki You see...he lives in YOU!
(**Sometimes it takes someone pointing out the error of our ways for us to regain focus, and see the reflection of the One whose image we were created in.)
Then from the rolling thunderous clouds, Mufasa appears in the sky.
Simba Father? (questioning, out of disbelief and possibly from detached reality in the sense of having not seen his father in so long he wonders if it is truly him)
Mufasa Simba, you have forgotten me.
Simba No! How could I?
Mufasa You have forgotten who you are, and so, forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba, you are MORE than what you have become! (**PAUSE** Ouch, gentle reprimand from our Father? Anyone recognize this?) You must take your place in the circle of life.
Simba How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be.
Mufasa Remember who you are. You are MY son, and the one true king. Remember, who you are.
Mufasa fades away as Simba runs after the rolling clouds, begging him to stay. This section of the scene makes me teary eyed listening to it even the millionth time. When I was a teenager, learning how to drive and starting to venture out into the world on my own, everytime I would leave the house my daddy would say "Remember who you are!" I never understood it then, but oh how I understand now. He didn't just mean remember your name, or remember where you live, remember your job. He meant, remember your identity. Remember WHOSE you are. Not just his daughter, but God's daughter, a representation of Christ every time I walked out the door (although, I was not what you would call a true Christian at that age.)
Rafiki comes back into the picture
Rafiki What was THAT!? The weather. Very peculiar. Don't you think?
Simba Yea...looks like the winds are changing.
Rafiki Ah, change is good...
Simba Yea but it's not easy. I know what I have to do but going back means I'll have to face my pas. I've been running from it for so long.
**Rafiki whacks him over the head with a stick
Simba Ow! What was that for?
Rafiki It doesn't matter, it's in the past!
Simba Yea but it still hurts
Rafiki Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or...LEARN from it.
Simba then makes the decision, to 'go back.' The past definitely can hurt. But, it's when you revisit the trials of your past are you able to start learning from your mistakes. We all have things in our past we are ashamed of, but it's in those mistakes that God's glory is known. We must pray for freedom and seek healing from the situations of our past, in order to share our testimonies with others-testimonies that tell of God's love and grace and mercy and power and GLORY! That is ultimately what we seek to do as Christians in this journey of bringing the kingdom of Heaven on earth.
After Simba goes home, instead of finding his lush green alive and thriving kingdom, he finds Pride Rock to be the complete opposite-desolate, dead, evil, and dark. This mirrors what life looks like with a King...and, without our King Jesus, present. And can mirror that of Simba's life and journey as well.
As Simba's mother, Sarabi-the Queen, is called to the presence of evil (Scar-the new king), she walks through the rows of evil hyenas, hitting her, laughing, and calling her name. Yet, she hold her head up high. She is royalty. She knows who she is and knows WHOSE she is. And no one can make her feel any differently because she knows where she belongs.
After the battle between Scar and Simba, where Simba wins of course (because good will always triumph evil) Simba takes his rightful place on the "throne", as the true king, resting in the peace of his true identity. All is restored in Pride Rock as we see the appearance of animals, and grass, and flowers, and a blue sky. Alive. Thriving. Beauty.
And the movie ends, with Simba and Nala's cub being raised in front of the kingdom, announcing the new Princess and next heir to the throne, thus symbolizing our place as the sons and daughters of Christ, joining our place in the Kingdom.
I know this was a novel of a blog, and for those of you who finished I commend you. And I encourage you, to go watch this movie (not necessarily in 3D but just in general.) I am so thankful for a Father who fights on my behalf, who is constantly pursuing my heart, who sends people/angels (like crazy Rafiki) to comfort me in my time of need and sending the Holy Spirit (also a Rafiki type character) to gently nudge me back on the path I was created to follow. I am so thankful that my Father's spirit dwells deep inside of me, always with me, reminding me who I am and whose I am. What an amazing Father we have, can I get an AMEN!?
In Him,
Meg
