With us leaving in just a few days, we thought it would be fun to watch a Disney movie everyday this week leading up to leaving. Today we watched The Lion King. Disney has a way of teaching lessons discretely and beautifully and I don't know if it was because we watched it right after we got home from church services today, but for some reason I couldn't help but see the amazing symbolism that the story had throughout the film. Particularly one part.
Most of us are familiar with the story of The Lion King. As a young cub, Simba loses his father in a stampede, and is led to believe that Mufasa's death is his fault. Simba leaves Pride Rock, or is basically forced to leave, because he feels guilt for the death of his dad (and because his uncle Scar wants him dead). Simba goes to live in the African jungle and is adopted into Timon and Pumbaa's odd clan. A few years go by as they teach him their ways and he tries to forget his past.
Then one day, while out hunting for food, Nala (Simba's best friend from Pride Rock) tries to hunt Pumbaa (not really intentionally of course) and when Simba intervenes he and Nala are reacquainted. She tries to get him to return home because he's needed, but Simba does not believe it. He feels he is inadequate and that if the pack of lions knew what had really happened to his father (or at least what he'd been told) that they wouldn't want him to be their King. In short, Simba doesn't believe he is King-worthy, although he fails to really communicate this to Nala at the time. She leaves him, angry and confused as to why he is not willing to return with her. Simba goes off alone and runs into Rafiki, an old and wise baboon and a friend of Mufasa. And that is when the best scene in the whole movie happens and where I just felt the symbolism was so strong. Check out the clip!
SO AMAZING!!! It's okay if you cried. It's pretty powerful stuff.
So here is how I took this scene. I believe that we are all sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us. And so we all have Godly characteristics. Sometimes, when we make mistakes we can forget who we are and not feel adequate to come back to our families, friends, or our Father in Heaven. We look at our reflections and see nothing special. But if we look harder, like Simba does in the clip, we can see who we really are. When we forget who we are, we forget our Heavenly Father. Just like Simba does with Mufasa.
I love the line, "You are more than what you have become." Simba's choices had led him to an alternate path that had taken him away from his true purpose in the circle of life. And then when Simba asks Mufasa, "How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be." Mufasa's response is so perfect. "Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true King. Remember who you are. Remember. Remember. Remember." Through mistakes and feelings of inadequacy, we can often forget who we truly are. But if we focus on remembering and if we try to communicate with our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much, he will help us remember who we truly are and who we can become.
The next section of the clip is great too. Rafiki talks to Simba about change. Rafiki says, "Change is good." And Simba says, "Yeah, but it's not easy. I know what I have to do, but going back means that I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long." Rafiki goes on to tell Simba that he can either run from the past or learn from it. So here are my thoughts on that...
We all make mistakes, some bigger than others, and sometimes we can be like Simba and not feel like we are good enough to change or that change is too hard. It can be so much easier continuing our lives in the way that isn't the best for us and run from the past or run from change. But it is always better to face it. And if you're afraid to face it, remembering who we are can help us get back to our true purpose in the "circle of life".
Sometimes through our mistakes relationships are jeopardized. From leaving Pride Rock, Simba lost relationships with his mother and his best friend Nala. But when he chooses to face his past and return, they welcome him back without hesitation. I am willing to bet that if you have left people behind through the choices you've made, the people worth having in your life will welcome you back with open arms just as Nala and Simba's mother did with him. When we make poor choices, we might be afraid to lose the friends we've made if we choose to go back or make changes in our lives. But I love that when Simba decides to go back to Pride Rock, his new friends, Timon and Pumbaa, are there to support him all along the way. That is what good friends would do. They would support and love you no matter how you choose to live.
I don't know if Disney was trying to portray this message, but either way I think they did an awesome job. Simba goes on to be a great King of pride rock and live to his full potential. I know that we can all be like that with the help of our Heavenly Father. I can become the best version of me if I remember who I am and if I don't let pride get in the way. If I admit to my mistakes and learn from them rather than run from them. And so can you!
Love,
Lara