The Lion King, an Old Hymn, and the Spirit of Christmas
The Lion King is My Favorite Christmas Movie
I never cry at movies. Never. I don’t know why. It’s not that I never cry. It’s just that movies don’t do it to me. Except for The Lion King. But not when Mufasa gets trampled. Or when Simba triumphs at the end. Nope, I cry during the very beginning. When the animals are all gathering at Pride Rock, and anticipation is in the air. When Rafiki, the wise old baboon carries little, baby Simba up to the tip of the rock and reveals him to the kingdom, what will become Simba’s kingdom, for the first time. The animals all go nuts. They cheer, they stomp, they jump up onto their hind legs. They are beyond elated. You could say they experience a thrill of hope at the coming of their king, who while still a baby, represents the promise of good things to come.
My Weary Heart Rejoices
Christmas can be a difficult season for people who suffer. This absolutely includes those caring for loved ones with mental illness or disabilities. If this is you, you may find yourself grieving, year after year, the life you expected or dreamed of. You may be monitoring credit cards and riding the wild wave of mania that often accompanies the holidays with a loved one with Bi-Polar Disorder. Or if your child is on the spectrum, the disregulation that is bound to occur may have you totally exhausted and homebound. If anxiety is on the table for your family, there will be so many triggering changes in routine, and to take it one step further, if the flavor of anxiety happens to be OCD, those changes in routine will likely involve a greater risk of contamination, so an uptick of decontamination rituals might result. If your loved one suffers from depression, even more sadness layers itself on top because “this is supposed to be a happy time”.
I was recently talking with a dear, life long friend of mine who has suffered a great loss. We were reflecting on the way the holidays shine a spotlight on the wrongness of life. You look around and the dissonance between the weariness in your heart and the happiness all around you makes the hole in your heart grow a few sizes bigger. As I reflected on that conversation, I realized that the spotlight on the wrongness in my life, the hole in my heart that seems to tear bigger and bigger, makes my neediness for a Savior all the more apparent. My weariness, emptiness, and brokenness are quite literally the spirit of Christmas. Your weariness, emptiness, and brokenness are quite literally the spirit of Christmas. Because it is your weariness, your emptiness, your brokenness that makes space in the deepest places of your heart for Jesus. It is this spirit that rejoices at the coming of that little baby in a manger. It is this spirit weeps at the prospect of the new and glorious morn that that beautiful little baby brings with Him.
A Thrill of Hope
That’s why I cry at the beginning of The Lion King. Something deep inside me resonates with the utter neediness and subsequent hope that the coming of a King brings. Jesus came. He came. And yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. I feel a thrill of hope this Christmas. Probably a bigger thrill than I’ve ever felt before. Not in spite of my circumstances. I feel a bigger thrill of hope this Christmas because of my circumstances. Before these circumstances, if I’m being honest, the coming of Jesus didn’t thrill me. Advent was a boring word. Now, Advent is a thrilling concept. I’m like an antelope stomping her feet, like a monkey swinging from the branches, or an elephant blowing her horn. When I think of Jesus coming my heart is full of hope in the promises of the good things to come. I can’t help but celebrate that.
I leave you with the lyrics of O Holy Night. Give it a listen over the next few days (I’m partial to Josh Garrel’s version, just sayin’)…
O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient Land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Take solace in the rightness of your brokenness before Him. Let your weary heart rejoice as you consider your Savior condescending to rescue you from that brokenness. Allow yourself to experience a thrill of hope when you consider what awaits you and your loved one in eternity.
Merry Christmas, my Radiant friends.