The Frozen Gospel

I don't know how many of you have been to the movies lately, but there were some phenomenal movies that came out over the Christmas break. I watched "Saving Mr. Banks" the other day and I was blown away by the story and excited to peer into the life of Walt Disney. Movies do an effective job of captivating an audience and telling a story. They are filled with disaster, triumph and love. Unfortunately many of the movies in our culture have begun to fill our minds with unneccesary language, excessive violence and pornographic images.

I was encouraged however over the holiday season by the movie "Frozen". Disney continues to make movies that are not only appropriate for the entire family, but their movies have a purpose, they tell a story and "Frozen" did not disappoint. Story is an interesting thing, how do you draw in an audience, hold their attention and then create an ending so memorable, and with such purpose that it could even change the way in which people live their lives. After I saw "Frozen" I was talking to a good friend of mine and he began to explain to me the deep parralels between "Frozen" and the Gospel. At the climax of the movie Disney broke away from the norm and true love was not represented by a romantic action but rather a moment of beautiful sacrifice. It wasn't some earthly version of love that destroyed darkness in this movie, it was true sacrificial love.

Now I don't think that Disney intended to share the Gospel with this film, I don't think that was their end goal. What I do know is that the best story ever told is that a Perfect Creator sent His only Son to die a painful death on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and that through this unselfish sacrificial gift, darkness was destroyed. Although Disney probably is not trying to spread the Gospel, whether they know it or not the reason their movie is becoming so successful is because they told the story that all of our souls are desperate to hear!



"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."     -Romans 5:8

The Race

I am reading a book that my mom gave me for Christmas called "7 Men" by Eric Metaxas. It is an incredible book about the lives of seven men who have vastly impacted history. The book is really a collection of individual biographies about these men, figures such as George Washington and Jackie Robinson The unique thing is that each man in the book was driven entirely by their faith. My favorite chapter so far is about a man by the name of Eric Liddell, some of you may know his name by the movie "Chariots of Fire" documenting an incredible story of faith during the 1924 Summer Olympics. It is an amazing movie and Liddell is the centerpiece of the entire story. I highly encourage watching the movie! What I was fascinated to learn is that his athletic career is only a small part of his story. Eric Liddell went on to be a missionary in China and live a life completely devoted to his faith, even to the point of death.

This book highlights the lives of seven men and challenges the reader to lead a life of true manhood. Not manhood as our culture depicts, but one that God depicts throughout the Bible, a manhood that each of these incredible men lived out every day. I am particularly drawn to Liddell's story and the way that he lived his life identically to the way in which he raced. It is said in the book that when you watched him run he would throw his head back and open his mouth in an unorthodox manner, almost as if he had to totally rely on God to direct him to the finish line because he could not see it himself. Paul so often talks about the Christian life as a race and the parallels that it brings. I felt that Liddell was a perfect example of those parallels and I was inspired to write something to depict our life as Christ followers.

The Race

This life that we're living is more like a race

If you start out too quickly you'll never keep pace

The goal is to run with a purpose in mind

If you are running for Christ then it's victory you'll find

In a way we are always running

Some run from their past and some run out of fear

But if you are running towards Christ

The finish line is near

When you finish the race no one is looking at time

Rather whose hands you are holding once you've crossed the line

This race is not about timing it's not about speed

But about the people you run with, the people you lead

When you finish the race, when you've given all you are able

It is then when your Father will say "Well done good and faithful"

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win."     -1 Corinthians 9:24