Terrorists: Zootopia

Shortly after the bombings in Paris on 11/13/15, I was sitting in the cafeteria at the community college I attend. I watched a young man walk in who to me looked nervous and "shifty." He also looked middle-eastern in origin. I kept an eye on him as he walked through the part of the cafeteria where they sell food. He walked around the area a couple times, but didn't buy anything (something I myself have done many times, which is a fact I didn't remember at the time). All these factors worked together to get me in quite the state of anxiety. And then...

Nothing happened. No bomb, no gun, no reason for any kind of worry at all. I was heartily ashamed of myself for steriotyping and for my prejudice.

I remembered this moment in my life when I watched the movie Zootopia for the first time.
(Photo retrieved from http://movies.disney.com/zootopia)

In Zootopia, there are two main groups of animals: Predators and prey. In general, there's a lot of prejudice against predators; speculation that they've never truly lost their historical hunting, killing instincts. Then that's all magnified when predators around the city start to "go savage."
(https://thedoublethumb.com/2016/03/17/zootopia-movie-about-adorable-animals-crack-cocaine/)

"Going savage" means that the predator becomes the animal that we all know it as, instead of the upstanding citizen it was before. So a lion, for example, starts attacking the prey around it with no evidence of rational thought.

When this is all unearthed, the prey animals start to get worried, and understandably so. Instead of limiting their prejudice to muttered comments or a dirty look, they start firing predators (they replace their lion mayor with a sheep), and advocating for things like relocating all the predators from the city.
(http://furriescentral.tumblr.com/post/137373991480/bearfrickker-lxlna-please-appreciate-my-son)
(https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2016/03/05/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-zootopia/)

So how did this movie remind me of that day in the cafeteria? It was because that same fear that I felt that day was pulsing through the characters on my television screen: the prejudice and steriotyping that led to panic and descrimination.

The suggestion of completely removing the predators from their society also rang with the politicians and social media pages that suggest we remove Muslims from America. We never know which one will "go savage" next.

But the thing about the movie is, it ended up not being the predators' fault that they were becoming terrorists. They were being poisoned by someone who wanted them out of the picture.

That's where the comparison stops, right? After all, real-life terrorists know exactly what they're doing, and they signed up for it.

Well, maybe not. Remember what Jesus said on the cross? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34). I don't think he was just talking about the Romans who hung him there. I think he was praying for everyone who persecuted him, as well as all those who would persecute us, his kids. And I don't think he expects us to do anything different when we are attacked and brutally murdered either. He was following his own command to "pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44).

But let's hone in on maybe why he said that "they" didn't know what they were doing.

Let's build a recipe for a terrorist:
1) They're slaves to sin, and are ruled by self-interest and pride.
2) Pride tells them that they're more important than other people.
3) False religion tell them that they're more righteous than other people as well.
4) Mix steps 2 and 3, and it's easy to conclude that anybody who isn't as important as them deserves to die. It's the same rationale that the Pharisees had when they dragged an adulturess before Jesus.
5) Kill everyone who isn't as righteous as them, and their religion rules the world.
Cook for several years while repeating lies and drilling the false religion deeper and deeper into their heads, and serve while hot. Congratulations, you have a religious radical who's ready to be unleashed into the world.

But they don't really know what they're doing, because everything they're listening to is a lie. That's the poison. They believe lies, and so they "go savage."

So what are we supposed to do? We don't have to look far to find out. In fact, we've already talked about it: Matthew 5:44 and Luke 23:34. Pray for those who persecute you, for they do not know what they are doing.

When I think about terrorists and the jealous anger of my Daddy in heaven, I feel nothing but pity for those guys who dare to touch his kids. But I also know that they hold a corner of God's heart that no one else does, and that deep down, what he really wants to do is save them (2 Peter 3:9). So that's why we ought to intercede for them. To use our status as God's beloved kids to appeal to that corner of his heart that wants to forgive and adopt, just as he did for us.

That way, perhaps predator can partner with prey, just as in Zootopia. We need to defeat the plot of the evil one, which is to take as many of us with him as possible. His fate is sealed, but the fate of the Muslim terrorists don't have to be. They are not the enemy. The enemy is the one with the poison in his hand.
(http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Judy_Hopps)

Don't Doubt God: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

(Photo retrieved from https://taleofthelimetree.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/read-seen-5-may-2015/)

Yes, I know that this was a book first, and yes, I know that the movie doesn't follow the book as well as we all hoped it would. But no, this post is not about the book, it is, indeed, about the movie.

The most recent time I watched this movie, I was just thinking about how clear the message/lesson is in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I figured that Voyage of the Dawn Treader would probably have some lessons to learn as well, knowing C.S. Lewis, so I payed extra close attention to see if I could pick them up. Here's what I noticed.

I like the way this movie follows not just one story, but four. Eustace's story, Lucy's story, Edmund's story, and Caspian's story. Each of these characters goes through some clear character development. Eustace's is the most drastic, but the others are just as important to look at.


Eustace's story is titled: Don't doubt what God can do. Here's why.
At the beginning of the movie, Eustace Scrubb is--how do I put this nicely--weak. He's lazy, nerdy, selfish, clever (but uses it to his advantage), and prone to complain and babble. He doesn't believe in fairy tales, magic, or Narnia. And he most definitely doesn't believe in Aslan. If you think back to Edmund in the first movie, you can most certainly see that these two are related.

(http://narniafans.com/tag/eustace-clarence-scrubb/)


Then Eustace is half-drowned in a painting, and his views on the existence of magic begin to change. However, he fights it with all his might. He never changes out of his British clothing, keeps insisting that he's going to charge his rescuers with kidnapping, and gets the most irritated when something unbelievable or illogical happens (like meeting a talking mouse). He drives himself into misery, and persists in his refusal to believe anything that isn't plainly shown him. A true Doubting Thomas.

However, that all changes when he takes things a little too far. He's too clever for his own good, and too lazy for the good of anybody else. He's sore for being left behind from an adventure, and wanders away from his duty. He then discovers a dragon's treasure.
(http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_treasure)

As Eustace puts it, "Finally, a favorable turn of events." And given the eventual outcome, I have to agree. His greed takes over, as you might expect, and he starts hoarding the gold and jewels with all his might. Unfortunately, the dragon's treasure is enchanted, and he turns into a dragon himself. This seems to be the final straw, the last blow to the wall of what his mind believes is impossible.

This dramatic event turns things around. The warrior mouse turns him from a cowardly dragon into a courageous one. He's helpful, thoughtful, hopeful, and more friendly. He exhausts himself towing the ship through a windless day, then gets wounded while fighting off his cousin's worst fear. He ends up alone on a sandy bank, faced with one more impossible task: changing back.
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/images/18134720/title/narnia-3-dragon-eustace-photo)

Apparently, nobody can change themselves from a dragon into a son. Only Aslan is capable of such a dramatic change as that. And yet, he can do it. We just need to let him.

Eustace, now a boy again, ends up helping to save the day. He fights off the green mist of temptation, and places the final sword on Aslan's table to put an end to The Evil. He's the first one to spot Aslan at the edge of the world. He adopts the clothes of a Narnian. He apologizes to his cousins and friends for how selfish he used to be, and glories in their acceptance of him.What the Eustace Scrubb from the beginning of the movie would have said was impossible rubbish, happened. And the Eustace Scrubb who emerged from the story was one who would no longer call anything rubbish or impossible, especially when Aslan was at the helm.

So no matter what it is that we may think is impossible for God to do, we should probably look at it again. Because God can do anything he pleases.
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" -Matthew 19:26
(http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Chronicles-of-Narnia-The-Voyage-of-the-Dawn-Treader-Blu-ray/19648/)



Lucy's story is a very familiar one for a lot of us. Hers is titled: Don't doubt who you are.
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader25.html)

When we open up on Lucy, it seems like she's just as confident, sweet, and fearless as ever. However, we soon discover that under the surface she's facing a lot of self-doubt. She's watching her sister--as we know she's been doing her whole life, even in Narnia--as men swarm around her. Lucy's getting old enough to start to want that kind of attention, but she's never gotten it. She's always been the little sister, and she fears she always will be. She's forgotten that she's just as much a queen of Narnia as her sister is.

Then she gets a dream come true: one last return to Narnia. She gets to take an active part in one last big adventure. But not in a beautiful dress. In a deleted scene (and in the book), it is explained to her that there are no female clothes on board the ship, so she'll have to dress like a man. So she spends the movie wearing a big, baggy shirt and pants. Not exactly the kind of wardrobe (haha) that you want to wear when you're trying to be more beautiful and attractive.

But she takes it in stride, and uses it to re-embrace her identity as Queen Lucy the Valiant.
(http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Lucy_Pevensie)

However, she's then sent into an enchanter's house to flip through his book of spells, and is suddenly facing the person she's always wanted to be, a reminder that she doesn't think the person she is is good enough.
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader19.html)

She looks at what a little bit of magic could do for her, and forgets any potential consequences as she seizes the chance. But then things go a little south. She had always thought that she wanted to be like Susan, but what she hadn't realized was that what she really wanted was to be Susan. She wanted to be forgotten in order to be noticed. She wanted her entire existence, with all the good things she had done when she was just being herself, to be erased so that she could finally get what her sister had. As Aslan put it, she "wished herself away." And she had to experience it to know just how bad it would be.
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8192476/Narnia-gets-its-sparkle-back.html)

Just like Lucy, we sometimes lose sight of who God made us to be in the craziness of watching others. We admire people, think ourselves inadequate, and then imitate the people we admire in order to be admired. I'm sure this isn't news to you, but it pays to have a reminder of just how dangerous that idea is. You see, in order to feel inadequate, we need to be listening to the Accuser and believing him as he points out all our flaws. Which means we are believing lies. Sometimes they are disguised as truth. After all, we are all flawed and imperfect without God's grace, forgiveness, and salvation. But it points us in the wrong direction. In God's kingdom, when we find a flaw in our ways, we repent, and he forgives us and forgets about it. But Satan points out the wrong flaws, so that, in trying to fix them, we turn to other flawed human beings that we view as being better than we are.

But the truth is this: God made us. And God doesn't make mistakes, he makes masterpieces. He hand-crafted each and every human being on the planet. That means me. And that means you. He didn't design us to be put together on an assembly line. He picked out each and every aspect, point, curve, color, shape, height, build, characteristic, talent, skill, mindset, attitude, and texture and carefully placed each and every one with love and skill. He made each person unique, like a glass-blower at his craft. He put his mind and effort into it wholeheartedly, delicately putting each part in its place.

However, since we're sinful, we're flawed, right? Yes, if we have not given our lives and our hearts to Jesus. But once we have, God doesn't see us as flawed anymore. All our flaws--spiritual, emotional, and physical--were nailed to the cross with Jesus and crucified there. So God is able to completely disregard them, and sees us as the beautiful treasure that he created in the first place.

Lucy learned this the hard way, and so have many of us. In fact, I'm still not able to completely grasp the truth and embrace my own identity as God's bride. I still struggle almost every day with seeing myself as inadequate, as I know many others do in varying degrees. But it's not too late to start to turn around. Like Lucy did, we can just say, "that was awful" and start to train ourselves to see us as God does.

Anyway, back to the story. After learning all this, Lucy gets to face life as herself again, and help others fight their fears and temptations. She even has a special moment where she is admired by another little girl (which wasn't in the book, but I like it), and gets to pass on the new message.
(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/500955158523889695/)

Then there comes this moment, and the significance is evading me. They go into the dark island to fight The Evil, Edmund awakens this monster, and they all start fighting it. Including Lucy, because as we all know, she is valiant. But the moment I'm talking about is this: when Lucy uses Susan's bow (and, come to think of it, Edmund is using Peter's sword). Didn't we just establish that Lucy is not the new Susan?
(http://www.narniaweb.com/2010/06/dawn-treader-trailer-screen-caps/attachment/074/)

It could just be a cool thing that the movie makers came up with to have the younger siblings take up the weapons of the older ones, but I think there's something deeper than that. Right now, I'm thinking it's this: that just because you are not that person you admire, doesn't mean you can't learn from them. You can take up their weapons, learn from their experiences, and use their training and advice to face the dangers and trials you have come against. And in the end, come out victorious.

That's what happens with Lucy. They defeat the bad guys, sail to the edge of the world, and meet Aslan there. Then, through many tears (including my own), they say goodbye to Narnia until the end of time, holding to the promise that Aslan will always be with them.
(http://torrents.st/the-chronicles-of-narnia-3-2010-1080p-bluray-h264-aac-rarbg)

Lucy gets back to our world as a new person, confident in her identity as Aslan's beloved, and ready to take on the next adventure that he has for her: finding him in her world.
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-chronicles-of-narnia/images/26749005/title/chronicles-narnia-voyage-dawn-treader-screencap)



Edmund's story, at my first glance, just looked exactly like Peter's in Prince Caspian. However, on closer examination, it's not. He may say many of the same things Peter does, but for different reasons. Edmund's story is titled: Don't doubt your God-given calling.
(http://skandarkeynes-.tumblr.com/page/2)

Edmund's story starts not in this movie, but in the first. Once upon a time, there was this little kid who was tired of taking orders from his brother. In his mind, his brother had no right to order him around. Inside, he desperately wanted to get out from under Peter's shadow and make his own choices.

Then his little sister discovers a magical land. Edmund follows her into it, and meets up with a woman.
The White Witch discovers his hunger and uses it to her advantage. She bribes him into betraying his siblings. Not with Turkish Delight, as you might think, but with power. She promises to make him king. This is a sneaky ploy, because she knows that it is his destiny to be a king anyway.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/102537907@N03/14188457277)

We all know what happens to that plan. Edmund falls for the lie, regrets his decision, Aslan saves the day, and all four children become rulers of Narnia. With Edmund under Peter, as Aslan had intended it to be all along.

Edmund has learned from his mistake, and rules at his brother's side with enthusiasm. In the second movie, he is constantly coming to Peter's aid and is content with letting his brother lead. He gives him advice, but still follows him whether he takes the advice or not.

Then we come to movie number three: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Here, we discover that something is brooding inside Edmund, tempting him to be discontent again. I think it may start in one of the earliest scenes, when King Caspian pulls the kids out of the water and introduces them to the crew as the "High King and Queen of Narnia."
(http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Lucy_Pevensie)

That statement seems to awaken in Edmund that old desire to be calling the shots. Then his hopes are crushed again when Caspian remains in charge. He seems to let go of it, however, until he finds a certain pool. A pool that turns everything into gold.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTZdjLfkydk)

Suddenly, the possibilities are wide open again. He has a way out from living in a shadow; from, as he puts it, "playing second fiddle." And he seizes the opportunity to challenge Caspian's authority.
(http://www.dragonblogger.com/dvd-review-chronicles-narnia-voyage-dawn-treader/)

His temptation makes him lose sight of what Aslan called him to: being second. There is nothing wrong with Edmund's leadership or ability, it is just not his job to be completely in charge. But he forgets that, and forgets that he was once content with it. He even starts to fight Caspian.

Thankfully, Lucy snaps him out of it, and he throws the temptation away. He then goes on to be very heroic as he re-settles into his role as second in charge, because that is yet again where Aslan is calling him to be.

But then they get to Dark Island to find the last sword, and the green mist of temptation raises its ugly head yet again. Literally. But not this one:
(https://www.fxguide.com/featured/narnia_the_dawn_treaders_vfx_crew/)

This one:

(http://www.jessmountifield.co.uk/2013/03/09/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-a-review/)

That's right, the White Witch resurfaces one last time to taunt him. She offers him power yet again. But this time, Edmund is ready for her. He has finally accepted his calling, and refuses to turn to any other path. He refuses to be an ally of evil ever again. And she leaves him. Finally. And Edmund is free to be who Aslan has called him to be.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -James 4:7
(http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Interview-The-Chronicles-Of-Narnia-s-Skandar-Keynes-22052.html)


Caspian's story is not as pronounced as the others, and is kind of lost on the background. However, his, too, is important. It is also familiar, especially to me. Caspian's story is titled: Don't doubt your ability.
(https://www.pinterest.com/explore/prince-caspian/)

We meet up with Caspian when he (almost literally) runs into the Pevensie children. He's overjoyed to see them, of course, but he's not quite sure why they're there. After all, he has everything well in hand, and he's led many successful campaigns since they left. So he wonders what it is about this campaign that he needs help with. This wonderment comes into play a little later.
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/ben-barnes/images/31523898/title/caspian-voyage-dawn-treader-photo)

Soon afterwards, Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy explore an island and find the enchanted pool that turns anything into gold. Here Edmund, as we just talked about, is tempted to seize power for himself. As he fights Caspian, he accuses him of insecurity. As he puts it, "You doubt yourself!"
(http://flickdirect.com/movies/955/the-chronicles-of-narnia-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/movie.ashx#/gallery_1/2)

That's the first hint we have of what Caspian is struggling with in this movie. Edmund saw it first because he was Caspian's confidante. But we see it too eventually.

When the Dawn Treader reaches Dark Island, and the green mist of temptation shows up, it does something unexpected to Caspian. Instead of "tempting" Caspian to do something, as with Edmund and Lucy, the mist just lies to him, taking the form of his father and telling him, "You're a great disappointment to me. You call yourself my son, and act like a king." This is a roundabout way of tempting Caspian to doubt his ability to carry out what Aslan called him to: rule Narnia (sidenote: this is something Satan does, too. He lies to us to get us to doubt ourselves and, ultimately, God. For more about that, read my post Satan's Seeds in my other blog, Sunset Room http://insidethesunset.blogspot.com/2016/03/satans-seeds.html)(http://www.hotflick.net/pictures/010TCN_Nathaniel_Parker_001.html)

Now we come back to wondering why Caspian needed help on this voyage. True, they ended up fighting something very powerful, and the kids from the other world come in quite handy for that sort of thing. But Caspian didn't know that when they first showed up. In his mind, it could be argued, the presence of the Pevensies meant that Aslan himself didn't think Caspian able of accomplishing the task of tracking down the faithful lords among the Lone Islands. If Aslan thought he needed help, then maybe he had failed his calling.

I know that is probably stretching things, but it helps us get in the mindset of how this powerful, capable king could have become this insecure, scared man who wants nothing more than his father's approval.

Anyway, so the green mist is tempting Caspian to doubt himself. But by doing so, it is also tempting him to doubt (or forget) Aslan. After all, Aslan is the one who crowned Caspian king over Narnia. So if Caspian is unable to do it, does that mean Aslan didn't know what he was doing?

Like Caspian, it is easy for us to doubt our ability to carry out God's calling in our lives. Especially if that feeling is reinforced by those we respect and love (like Edmund for Caspian). But that's because when God asks us to do things, he doesn't want us focused on our ability to carry them out. He wants us completely focused on him. This links back to what Eustace learned: nothing is impossible for God. So if God is able to do it, that means it can be done, even if he is doing it through us.

One example of this is a couple weeks ago, when I had an oral presentation to give in a class. I took a public speaking class as a prerequisite, but almost the only thing I learned was how bad I am at public speaking. In fact, speaking in front of a group is one of my greatest fears, and one of the only things I've ever told God, "no" about. Nothing has changed that. Not surrender, not giving him my fears, not anything he ever said to reassure me. I was absolutely convinced that I was a bad public speaker.

But this semester, I've been learning in dance class about how different we are because God lives in us. We've been getting a more in-depth look at what the truth is about us as children of God. The truth being: it is no longer we who live, but God who lives in us. So when I was praying about this presentation, and pretty much asking God how on earth I was supposed to pull it off, he showed me that when I was picturing it happening, I was picturing all my past failures and embarrassing moments. Then he reminded me that it is him working through me that accomplishes things. He told me instead to picture him giving the presentation. He's a king, so he's pretty good at public speaking. He also knows his stuff when it comes to scientific topics (or any topic, for that matter). So when he gives a presentation on food allergies in pets, it is just about the best presentation you've ever witnessed.

Well, mine wasn't. It still took a lot of practice, and I didn't say everything perfectly. But the big difference was, I wasn't nervous while I was speaking. My mind usually goes blank when I speak in front of people, but this time, the thought that God was in me and capable, combined with the preparation work I had done (under his direction), made me more relaxed. Once again, God proved faithful. And my oral presentation was no longer impossible when it was done through him. Not only that, but I no longer believe the lie that I'm a bad public speaker. God can do anything in me, and sometimes I just need practice.

So back to Capsian. The green mist of temptation is defeated, but his self-doubt remains. He sails to the edge of the world to find his father, but then finds out from Aslan that in order to find his father, he'd have to give up ever returning to Narnia. He almost does it, but then realizes his mistake. He was given a gift. He was called to do something great. And even though he may not be perfect, it is still his job to do. And the best way to make his father proud is to carry out the calling that Aslan placed on him. As he puts it, "I can't imagine my father being very proud if I gave up what he died for."

In the same way, we shouldn't give up what our Father died for. We should live to make him proud. And we shouldn't doubt our own ability to do what he calls us to. Instead we should trust that God knows what he's doing, and is able to do what he calls us to through us.

Caspian ends by going to Aslan and promising to be a better king. In return, he gets the confirmation, "You already are" which means that Aslan is still calling him to be king, and is still working in him to be better.
"He who began a good work in you is able to carry it on to completion." -Philippians 1:6
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader31.html)

So in all, we can learn a lot by watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
1. Don't doubt what God can do
2. Don't doubt who you are
3. Don't doubt your God-given calling
4. Don't doubt your ability to carry it out, because God is working through you, and nothing is impossible for him.
(http://www.ibamadeira.com/2013_03_01_archive.html)

True Love: The Princess Bride

 (photo courtesy of http://www.rockfordbuzz.com/the-princess-bride-comes-to-nordlof/)

A few months ago, I started learning about the authority we have as children of God. One of the aspects of that authority is how fierce it allows us to be in the face of the enemy. Like when Buttercup says to Humperdink, "You are the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth!"


She is able to say it because she is secure in the fact that she and Wesley are "joined by the bonds of love" and she finally knows just how powerful that love is:
"You cannot break it, not with a thousand swords!"
and
"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."
 (http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2014/06/02/cary-elwes-princess-bride-westley-as-you-wish/)

So let's look at this story once again. The story of how powerful true love really is (also, a story about pirates, fencing, poison, revenge, etc.)

Buttercup (that's us) and Wesley (that's Jesus) fall in love, like when God, Adam, and Eve were hanging out in the Garden of Eden. But then they are separated, like the fall. Wesley is thought to be dead, lost to her forever, and Buttercup is never the same without him.

Skip ahead a couple of years (or in our story, millennia), and Prince Humperdink (Satan) is preparing to be king. He takes Buttercup and promises to make her a queen. But in reality, he is plotting her death (like how Satan is always deceiving us, luring us away from the path to light).
 (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/422282902529852698/)

But then, right when all seems lost for Buttercup, Wesley comes back to save the day. She doesn't know him at first, because he is in disguise (just like Jesus was when he came to save us), but eventually she figures it out and they determine to escape the clutches of Prince Humperdink. In the meantime, Buttercup learns that Wesley will never truly be separated from her, even when dead.

http://cinemagogue.com/2012/02/16/as-you-wish-the-princess-bride/

After a few near-misses in the Fire Swamp (which doesn't really represent anything in my story), they encounter Prince Humperdink yet again. Buttercup, who doesn't really know quite yet who is supposed to be saving whom, gives herself up to Humperdink. Wesley allows himself to be captured (because we all know he could have escaped easily enough) and is taken into the Pit of Despair.
(http://abc7.com/archive/8834266/)

Meanwhile, in the castle, Buttercup finally realizes her mistake and asks to be set free to be with Wesley. But Humperdink deceives her in order to keep her with him and away from Wesley. Buttercup remains defiant (and calls him the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth) and insists that Wesley will save her whether by invitation or not. This throws Humperdink into a rage, and he goes down into the Pit of Despair and kills Wesley.

On the wedding day between Prince Humperdink and the Princess Bride (which perfectly describes the Church, by the way), Wesley (now alive) is storming the castle (and having fun doing it, in accordance with the not-witch-but-actually-a-wife's instructions). Humperdink and Buttercup are standing before the speech-impaired bishop getting "mawied" but Buttercup is still steadfast in her confidence that "my Wesley will save me." To which Humperdink replies, "Your Wesley is dead. I killed him myself." Then Buttercup, unworried, says, "Then why is there fear behind your eyes?"
(http://www.popsugar.com.au/celebrity/MoviesWhere-Groom-Left-Altar-16079665)

Buttercup recognized who it was who would win, and never wavered for a second. Unfortunately, she was deceived again. Humperdink's final lie was that it was too late for her to be united with Wesley, because she was already married to him.

We can easily fall for this deception as well. It comes in the form of, "You've gone too far, God won't take you now" or "You're not good enough yet, try again when you are." And yet the truth is that nothing is strong enough to keep us from God except ourselves. If we don't say, "I do," then what Satan tells us is a lie, and we are not stuck with him. Nothing Satan can do can separate us from our true love.

So in the end, Wesley and Buttercup are reunited (like we will be when Jesus returns). Wesley reminds Buttercup of the truth (like how Jesus is always willing to reveal Satan's lies for what they are), and she realizes that she's not married after all. Wesley defeats Humperdink with merely a few words, because he is that much more powerful than the prince is. Then four white horses, a giant, and a Spaniard show up, with happy endings of their own, and Wesley and his Princess Bride ride off to live happily ever after together.
(http://parade.com/428777/jerylbrunner/the-most-beloved-quotes-from-the-princess-bride-on-its-28th-anniversary/)

So just like Buttercup, we can have confidence that our "Wesley" will save us, because we know that we are joined by the bonds of love. Jesus was willing to become and do whatever it took to be with us forever, just like when Wesley went off to sea and became a pirate. He loves us, and proved it by dying for us. And yet he even defeated death, proving that death indeed cannot stop true love. Let our response be like Buttercup's when she said "I will never doubt again." Because it is that response that emboldened her to stand against the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth with confidence and ferocity. She knew whose Princess and Bride she truly was. And because Wesley had shown her what a hero truly looked like, she knew that the man about whom she had boasted "He can track a falcon on a cloudy day" was just an empty, cowardly shell of a man trying to look like a hero.

We have a King who is truly in love with us. Let us wait for him with confidence and ferocity in the face of the prince of this world, because we know to whom we belong. Then, when all is said and done, God's true love for us will win, and we will truly, finally, be His Princess Bride!
(http://princessbrideforever.com/)

I'm No Cook: Ratatouille

So, what's the deal behind The Reel Deal? First off, yes, I know that "reel" is misspelled for this context. But, yes, it is on purpose. The Reel Deal is what I decided to call my blog for looking at movies through Christian-colored glasses (if you're wondering what color Christian-colored glasses are, I'd say it's a reddish-brown).

There are many times when I watch a movie and something jumps out at me as being a great reflection of God's story in us. The obvious example is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Aslan is Jesus, Edmund is us. Aslan sacrifices himself for Edmund, even though he has never done wrong. He comes back to life. He defeats the White Witch, and he sets up the children as kings and queens. Bam. The Gospel in a nutshell.

But I like looking for that story where it isn't obvious, and isn't intended. I love admiring how many times humans unintentionally create a story that somehow starts to look like God's. And not just the story of Jesus' sacrifice, but stories of our walk with Him.

One such story is found in Pixar's Ratatouille
(photo courtesy of http://livingadisneylife.com/ratatouille-disney-pixar-movie-food/)

A few months ago, I was learning how to completely rely on God day in and day out. Always following his direction, and not doing a thing unless he told me to. I was thinking about how it worked, and trying to find a way to explain it to my non-Christian friends at school. They all credit me for being super smart, and think I'm getting good grades because I'm a good student. However, I long to tell them the real story. It's not me. None of it is. But how could I explain that to people who weren't experiencing it? Then the movie Ratatouille dropped in my head.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_(film))

In Ratatouille, the main human is Linguini, an average guy who needs a job. He comes across a rat who can cook, and together they find out that when the rat pulls on Linguini's hair, he can control his actions.

It takes some practice to get a system down. They practice with Linguini's eyes covered so he can learn to trust the rat's actions
(http://aireesespieces.blogspot.com/2010/10/me-myself-and-my-kitchenette.html)

Eventually, Linguini's only job is to "appear human." The rat does the rest.
It's the same with my life. I only go through the motions God has initiated in me. I study what and when he tells me to. When I take tests, he brings things to my mind, sometimes that I've forgotten.

As Linguini puts it "You've been giving me credit for his gift!"
(http://basementrejects.com/review/ratatouille-2007/)

I'm no cook. I mean that figuratively (although it's true literally as well). When I say that I'm no cook, I'm saying that without God, nothing I have accomplished would be possible.

Now, back to the problem of how to explain that to my friends. I now know a good way to explain what happens in my head, but I still have to come out and say it. I haven't done that yet, and I know the time is coming when I should. After this coming semester, I may never see these people again.

In Ratatouille, Linguini has to admit that he's not a cook to all the other staff members in his kitchen. He confesses everything. But then, one by one, they all desert him (or, since they're cooks, maybe they "dessert" him :D).
(http://imgbuddy.com/larousse-ratatouille.asp)

That is what I'm afraid of. That's what's holding me back from speaking out. I don't want to be rejected. Who does? But I guess it's time for me to look farther into the movie. After the humans desert Linguini, the rat's family comes to save the day.
(http://www.movieroomreviews.com/ratatouille/photo/ratatouille-movie-pictures-4)

I need to remember that God will come through for me even if nobody else does. He can accomplish the impossible. He can do things that are even more amazing than having a family of rats successfully (and cleanly) run a restaurant. I need to rely on him and his friendship, and not be afraid of being rejected. God has given me so many incredible gifts: a great program, great teachers, great fellow students, and a mind to understand how beautiful and amazing his creation is. He has accepted me into his family. He has never let me down, and he never will. So I need to trust in his plan, follow his lead, and let him do all the cooking!

http://www.rotoscopers.com/2015/06/12/pixar-rewind-ratatouille/