How many people love Disney? Basically, most of the world?
Aside from the theme parks, clothing, and world conquering, Disney tends to kick out a movie every now and again. From cartoons to computer generated animation, to actual actors covered with flesh, they have impacted western culture (at a minimum), in ways that very few brands have.
In fact, if I asked my wife to do a mashup of four old school Disney songs from any four movies, it would take her about 5 minutes and she would have a hit better than any mashup from Glee. That my friends, is impact.
So let’s roll with that for a minute.
This morning in my quiet time I read this verse: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” -John 1:10 (NIV)
For some reason I immediately thought of several Disney movies where the female lead is walking around singing, and nature suddenly joins along. The birds sing, the bees hum, the flowers suddenly have faces and begin dancing. The forest and mountains harmonize a beautiful melody, all the while a brilliant light seems to shine around the prancing, dancing, singing women.
Then I thought of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
He is fully man; a carpenter. Evidently, according to Isaiah 53:2, He wasn’t particularly handsome or majestic. He was a normal looking Jewish man with olive skin.
I have to confess: Sometimes I think I replace the glory of Jesus with the fairytale of Disney.
Unfortunately when I close my eyes and think of Jesus I guess I just naturally assume that He was pale skinned with ruddy cheeks, lit up like a flashlight, and birds were regularly flying around Him singing hymns. I imagine that he had a lively spring to His step, and when everyone, (creation included), looked at Him they grinned from ear to ear with happiness.
I don’t sit there and think of the fairytale on purpose, I just think culture has helped shape my perspective a bit. However, God is renewing my mind.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (emphasis added)
In Jesus‘ humble state, we have “seen his glory.” The Bible tells me that the glory of Jesus was His humble state? How humbling.
He was and is the Light. “The true light that gives light to every man” and “to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
So, Jesus wasn’t sparkling like those vampires in that silly movie that makes no sense at all. (I know that’s not Disney, but I have a strong dislike for those movies. I do understand I may have just lost some readers.) He got tired, and needed consistent alone time with His Father. He loved and perfectly reflected love. He wept. He died. He was resurrected. He lived and lives.
He is real. Fact. Living.
My Disney fantasy Jesus will fail me every time in the face of suffering, fear, and hardship. However, my Savior that walked this Earth as a humble man, who suffered and died on the cross, who defeated death and has given me eternal life… that’s a different story.
