Living from the Lion King

I thought it about time to write a blog on the Lion King having recently indulged in this 'beast' of a film. No sooner did I run into a plethora of signs and reminders after asking the Lord to confirm this, not excluding lion king toys being sold at the grocery store, haha, so here it finally is!

<a href="http://getdrawings.com/lion-king-logo-vector">Lion King Logo Vector</a>

I'll begin by saying that there are some minor variations between the original and recent film but the basic heart of the story has remained unchanged. The use of real animals (with the help of CGI) was also not a disappointment but visually impactful and included screenshots almost identical to the original Disney cartoon! (Here's an idea :)

I must confess that this movie was also used as a tool during my time at ministry school to help teach about true identity and belonging, in the Kingdom of God. I can't recall the exact lessons though many powerful parallels exist between the two stories. After a fresh viewing of the latest film, it's my hope to highlight some of the truths that jumped off the screen for me as I trace through the basic narrative :D

I believe there are two leading themes that grab your heart and attention in the The Lion King. This is not only a story of a Father's love but also the discovery of true identity, even despite formidable lies and heartbreak.

The Royal Presentation

Though the start of the film might remind you of a scene from the famous Buckingham balcony showcasing the latest royal, the dramatic presentation of Simba as the first royal son, has a closer affinity to you than you might think!

There is One who has known and loved us from the very beginning.

Isaiah 44:24 (ESV) 24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself...

I can't imagine a royalty that tops a dominion stretching and spreading heaven and earth, let alone, a limitless Universe! The Creator, Father God's empire, is as far and vast as the eye can see & it is He who formed you in the womb from the beginning.

Scripture also says you were made in His image so it follows that you are His royal child. This may seem unlikely as a great many people resemble struggling or striving orphans with little to no knowledge of being valued as a son or daughter... let alone loved or even royalty!

Cue.. Enter Scar

I believe the Lion King movie fills in this blank by introducing us to Simba's Uncle, Scar. I think his name clearly communicates the quality of his character. Apart from looking the part of bedraggled, Scar carries a bitter wound that now festers within. In our first introduction, he grumbles about unfairness because he'll never be King with Simba's arrival. It doesn't require an enormous leap to imagine this character grasping at an occasion to become the sinister tension of the film. His mission is to overtake the throne and I can't help but be reminded of another insidious character who's existence creeps beyond a Disney movie. Mr. fallen angel himself, Satan, was never destined for Kingship. Satan was not a family member of the most High yet that didn't stop him from trying to ascend God to attain His throne.... and that didn't stop Scar either!

As Scar orchestrates a plan to grasp the Kingdom, he enlists a pack of hyenas to play the role of his minions (with an interplay that provides much needed laughter!) & promises great incentive for their services. In many ways, the sneaky, scrawny and nearly starved hyenas bear resemblance to demons who skulk about attempting to carry out their leader's malevolent plans.

No great power of imagination is required to grasp the final objective of either villain.

So here it is:

1) wipe out the King & child

2) dominate with total power

(Note: an evil cackle may follow of some length like boohahahaha!) Please see samples below :o

Similar to Satan's subtlety and cunning, Scar does not broadly forecast his design but remains inconspicuous. He begins by planting a small seed in the cub's mind, 'accidentally' mentioning the forbidden elephant graveyard and how "only the bravest lions go there...". Scar counts on the excitement of this shared knowledge to be irresistible to Simba. About a breath and a half later, Simba is seen bounding towards what he likely views a harmless adventure, despite being told by his Dad to never go beyond where the light touches. Here comes that familiar feel ... a scaly serpent hissing to Eve that Father God withheld something desirable from her & her husband. Though Simba is rescued by Mufasa from the hyena devouring this time... Scar is not so easily discouraged & moulds a secret weapon out of his first failure.

A Slippery Confidant

Having established that Simba kept their secret, Scar is safe from suspicion and hastens to apply the cub's trust to a new situation. He draws Simba into a gully where he must wait for a surprise for him & his father (or in the cartoon, from his father). Scar plays on Simba's desire to become like his Dad and make him proud. He tells him to work on his roar while waiting and adds that Mufasa refused to leave the gully until perfecting his roar (recent film). In some sense, this is like the snake telling Eve to eat of the tree to become more like God. In both stories, you get the sense that something more was needed yet the truth was, they were already like their Dad. In the original film, Scar also mentions the graveyard incident as a way to embarrass Simba into following his instructions & keep him sat there. This is not unlike our enemy who uses shame or past failures to further the success of his own private scheme.

Expectedly, the most horrific scene ensues when Simba's tiny roar seems to set off a pack of wildebeests who come rushing through like a powerful torrent! Though Mufasa hastens to His son's rescue & looks like he just might himself survive the ordeal... Scar ensures that he doesn't, throwing him off a cliff.

For God so loved the world...

Scar fully orchestrated Mufasa's death, in much the same way, Satan used man to deliver Jesus up to be crucified. Unlike Jesus, Mufasa was not expecting to die but was similarly ready to put his life on the line for the child he loved. One of the most startling and amazing things about the cross is that Jesus gave his life freely for us. No one could actually take his life from Him unless He was willing because Jesus was God after all! Scripture says, Jesus was co-crucified from the foundation of the earth. It was God's plan all along to die for us from the beginning because he loved us that much.

Mufasa's death bears resemblance to Jesus's death in another way. Simba was unable to save himself from the gully and was in need of rescue just as we were not able to lift ourselves out of the pit of sin and death.

Romans 5:18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Having been marred by sin from the lineage of Adam & Eve, humanity even demanded & desired Jesus' death (unlike Simba) - however, death was transformed into the greatest victory in both stories! Also worth noting, the one subtly crouching behind every step, thought and action, aiming to destroy both Father and son, was the real villain.

Shame, Shame, go away...

As if wasn't enough for Simba to witness his Father's fall and lifeless body, Scar happens upon the scene with feigned surprise, blaming the cub with false sympathy. "Simba, what have you done?" "... no one ever means for these things to happen.. but the king IS dead... And if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive. "Oh! What will your mother think?" Simba's brief conference with Scar snuffs out any flicker of reassurance or comfort. Instead Simba is pushed to grasp the only seemingly viable option > > > an immediate departure from which he should never return! Desperate, heartbroken, guilty & ashamed, Simba takes Scar's advice. He starts to run.

The enemy is bent on heaping guilt and shame on his children while remaining sneakily hidden. As Adam, Eve, Peter and countless other saints today have known, he uses any opportunity. Like Scar, he is known for subtly suggesting something harmful, then encouraging us to hide & distance ourselves from our Papa while hitting us with shame from any consequence or convincing us to believe a lie about ourselves. Jesus defeated shame on the cross, as it says in Scripture, he entirely despised it. Jesus did nothing worthy of reproach so even shame cast upon him could by no means overcome Him. Because He died for us, as us, being God and man, His full inheritance belongs to us and shame is certainly excluded from that package! Why suffer under the shame Jesus has already conquered!

Into the Unknown

When Simba runs away, he is also leaving his destiny as King to the villain. Naturally, Scar does not spare a moment to secure his new self appointed role. He quickly releases his minions to eliminate the cub so there is no further challenge to the throne. This can be symbolic of the lies, shame and fear used to pounce on lost sons and daughters. Being convinced to run or hide from our true identity can alone accomplish this because it means abdicating our rights as children of God while the enemy unleashes a tyranny.

Reigning together with the ravaging hyenas, there is nothing too surprising about the destruction that ensues with Scar's leadership. Pride Rock has become a dark and gloomy desert scape with only one forecast: a starving & bleak existence. Many of the animals have left and the few that remain are like prisoners if they haven't yet been eaten. There is no celebration in this land, just selfish ruling that has devastated the proper balance, the circle of life. When you see a world where famine, ruin and perversion of every kind spring up, you are seeing a world that has not yet fully experienced the awakening of sons and daughters. We will leak out the beauty, glory, healing and refreshment when we realize who we really are- God's kids carrying the life of Christ within. <3

Romans 8:19-21

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

It was not only Mufasa's desire to see Simba inherit the Kingdom he was preparing him for but to protect his son's life to the death because he loved Simba more than his own life.

Perhaps being a parent gives us a taste of this incredible love or any experience of being loved or having loved unflinchingly.

God never changed His mind about us either! He gave His children everything, not withholding even his own perfect child Jesus, who shared the same divine life with the Father. I believe they experienced a suffering and joy incomprehensible and impossible to fully comprehend. Yet thinking about it now, I believe Father, Son and Holy Spirit, made it possible for us to understand the deep mysteries of the Cross, now having the mind of Christ- he gave that to us too!

Of course, the years away from the pride lands are made considerably lighter watching the antics of Simba, Timon & Pumbaa's little posse galavanting around a lush paradise, providing a much brighter contrast to the depressing last segment. Yet Simba lives an existence completely alienated from his true identity. I don't mean he has amnesia but he feels the past is the past and consequently, disconnects from his royal inheritance.

Capsized with the Truth

Though Simba is a full grown lion now, he is suddenly awakened to his true self through some powerful & timely encounters.

Simba runs into his childhood friend Nala who pleads with him to take his place as King and return home. The wise monkey Rafiki then gets a hold of him in the forest, calling him a 'baboon' because Simba is the one confused about his identity (despite Rafiki's appearance below!). Simba is also startled to be identified as "Mufasa's boy" by this strange monkey after all these years!

Rafiki leads Simba to gaze at his own reflection in a pool of water, telling him that his Father is still alive and lives in him! If this wasn't enough to sway his path, Mufasa's voice speaking directly from heaven was the equivalent of a tsuanmi of truth, love, power and finality drenching Simba. "Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king", you "must take your place in the Circle of Life". Simba is shaken to life by this pivotal encounter, realizing that he must embrace his identity after this personal & otherworldly visit from his Dad. He now fully accepts who he is despite the fear of facing the past.

A Voice from Above, a Voice from Within

Mufasa's voice addressing Simba from heaven is much like our heavenly Father speaking to us. God encounters, affirms and upholds us in love in the person He made us to be. You are a son or daughter and anything less is not the truth about you! Up until this point, lies, confusion and guilt had kept Simba away from the pride lands. Now that Simba has awoken to the importance of taking his place as rightful heir, Scar's rule is not safe. Similarly, Christ's death defeated every principality & power. We have been restored to the complete authority and victory we were created for.

Jesus did not remain in the grave but was raised from death. His resurrection power lives through us which He has given to all believers through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a real presence and person that we can experience and He speaks to us too! Simba hearing the voice of his Father & discovering that his dad's life lives within him gives us a picture of how God's Spirit lives within us, endowing us with truth, power and every marvellous aspect the Holy Spirit. Simba didn't realize that his Father had been with him all along as Mufasa had promised one starry night long ago, "...whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you & so will I".

Running to face Goliath...

Most inspiring is the scene where Simba begins running back to the pride lands with great fervency. He gallops the entire way which looks a great distance! The speed, the motion, powerfully reveal Simba's steadfast resolve to reclaim what was lost. What relief! Something so seemingly hopeless and tragic to be finally be made right... this is the rhythm of powerful anticipation! I believe there is a similar echo in the human heart that longs to run forth in freedom and restore anything that was lost. We learn, like Simba, that fear and confusion can no longer rule us.

Yet Simba's return does not go without a challenge. Scar is beyond surprised to see the now grown lion standing before him, especially having thought the hyenas had finished him off! Scar uses arguably the only weapon he has that proved most effective in Simba's cub days. Scar reminds Simba that he caused his father's death. Scar is almost successful in breaking down Simba's renewed sense of identity and pushes him so far back with accusations that he is dangling for his life from a rock. Yet like many villain types, Scar revels in disclosing that he was the one behind Mufasa's death. The sudden revelation calls forth such ferocious strength in Simba that he is able to escape the death grasp & make the truth plain to the other lions.

The Face of Grace

Though Scar was the perpetrator behind a destruction that was extremely personal for Simba, Simba spares his life. He has no desire to resemble Scar, even if it seems justified and he tells Scar to leave the pride lands & never return.. just like he did! This measure displays incredible grace which reveals the Spirit of Mufasa working within him. Mufasa had permitted Scar to live in the pride lands and showed him good will during his reign, though we gather that Scar was not the easiest of subjects, let alone family members and proved to be a huge liability. The spirit of mercy and grace pours out from our Father's heart too towards all people, no matter what they have or haven't done. Jesus stood in our place to nullify the sin nature that had ensnared us as it was always the Father's heart to set us free & forgive His children. Jesus said to forgive as we have been forgiven. When we are able to extend grace and forgiveness to those we perceive as our enemy, those who have dealt with us poorly, even excruciatingly, we are letting the life and love of the Father pour through us. Forgiveness is only possible through Christ's life lived through us.

Despite the mercy Simba extends, Scar's apparent concession becomes an opportunistic moment to swipe burning coals at Simba, attempting to overcome him. Scar does not win the battle, yet ironically, his final comeuppance comes at the hands of his own minions. Having blamed them to save his own life, Scar loses his life because they overheard his betrayal & so they do with him what they do to any prey. Jesus said a kingdom divided will not stand having no true fellowship or future unlike the Father's Kingdom which is based on our unshakeable cornerstone, Jesus Christ, who holds all things together in truth and love.

Welcome Home Dear Child

The movie's finale is a great picture of restoration. We see the nightmarish pride lands, a burnt out looking desert reeking of death and destitution, now bursting with every kind of life and flourishing with bright blooms, as it once did! The restoration of Simba includes the introduction of his new lion cub which can be like our divinely human, new creation journey, embracing our own true son or daughtership in Christ and thus, yielding a fruitful and fertile abundance overflowing into every area of our lives. Scripture gives several pictures of this restoration so I will include one here that I like:

Isaiah 35 (v. 1-2, 10)

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God...

They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Cheers & Applause!

A child cheering aloud with delight came from behind me in the theatre at this point. She cried out in joy when Simba ran back to the pride lands and when he experienced his final victory, standing triumphant in his rolling, fertile home again. Her clapping hands and delight was an accurate reminder of the childlike joy and celebration we have because Jesus has given us the full victory and inheritance, giving us his resurrection life by dying on the cross & conquering the grave.

We left the theatre with that sense of joy and elation and the amazing thing is, though the movie had ended, the story is no less true. The 'Lion King' lives on in our hearts as we embrace our royal adoption as sons and daughters which is a reign that spans the universe & all things in existence. If you have never discovered the truest identity you'll ever know, I say to you, Simba, it's time return home!

In the original cartoon, the song 'He lives in you' below, was a personal favourite. It underlines the power of the resurrection life of the great King Mufasa, namely God in you. I listened to it almost continually (yes!!) to write most of this blog. Enjoy! :D