Beauty and the Beast

[Belle, the Beauty, does not want to come dinner with the Prince, the Beast.]

You can imagine to a degree the Beast's outrage at Belle's "unavailability."  The point I want to pull out of this clip is tolerance, and this point is so crucial for us in the society we live in.  Tolerance seems to be held up as what is mot important today.  When tolerance is held up as the ideal though, to then what is the criteria for tolerance, and what do we mean by it.  And when it is held up as the ultimate then things begin to become muddled because their is no objective standard to go by.  It will then eventually lead to Totalitarianism, because we oriented only by those in power, rather than by reason.  So often people do this today, if you don't accept everything I do then you are not tolerant.   Did the Beast really tolerate what was going in Belle's heart and mind? He tried to be tolerant, doing something outside himself and he did not get the result he wanted, he became intolerant and mean.  He did the same thing as our society by creating a divide then rather than a ground to be able to discuss and reason.  

The case in society often is that we think in ideologies rather than about the people in front of us. We forget that people are not their ideas.  I can love you and yet disagree with your thoughts, and your actions.  The true point of "love is to will the good of the other as other." -St. Thomas Aquinas The Beast did not show love to Belle because he was looking out for his desires, not taking the time to consider hers.  He has not even begun to think about what her situation is like and the struggles she is facing.  He gets angry and storms away and refuses to be open to her in her current situation.  This is the trouble sometimes with the Church and with other organizations - we forget we need to meet people where they are, not where we would like them to be.  Sharing and spreading truth and beauty is not about feeding my ego, it is about something greater than myself.

 We must also recognize that the Beast is not the complete villain here.  He has the opportunity to become a hero, and he actually does. The Beast did something amazing, he reached outside his comfort zone by saying please and trying to be polite.  It was a very big step for him from where he had been before.  We need to celebrate these steps for ourselves and others.  This does not mean that the Beast was in the right, but we can forgive his anger, and approve of his stepping outside his comfort zone. 

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

[Robin Hood (Kevin Costner) is stirring the outlaws to fight against an unjust and unrightful ruler, the Sheriff.  They had been bickering about everything that the Sheriff had been doing to them.]

In light of the Resurrection that we celebrated in the Church, I thought it would be fitting to talk about Evangelization.  Robin Hood is the Christ-figure that has come to remind people that they are free.  We are made to live a life full of joy.  Yes it will be hard and at times it may very well cost our lives, but if we truly believe in our hearts that we are free than our cause does not end with us.  That is the beauty of the message that Robin gives is that it is not about looking out for myself, or being scared.  It is about boldly proclaiming that which I know: I am free, and I am free because of a man who is God.  We are meant to share the faith with others.  

They all keep bringing up objections, which is what we ourselves do so often.  I cannot share the faith, or I am not really made free.  I am still bound to my sin, or people will think I am fool or stupid.  Christ, our liberator, reminds us that His grace is sufficient.  He is the one that provides the means to overcome those awkward situations, or when we don't know what to say.  Christ is able to overcome all our objections.  He is true, and is asking you to follow him. 

A man who is free defending his home is worth more than ten hired soldiers.  Why do you think that is?  A man who believes, who knows he fights for a cause is greater because he is motivated by his heart, by conviction, not greed.  It is similar thinking when we try to accomplish a good deed, but go about it in a sinful way.  It is when we fully believe in the task that all that it stands for that we become heroic.

Amazing Spider-man

[Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) had been beaten up, and made fun of earlier in the film by Flash.  Now that Peter Parker has power (becoming Spider-man), it is his turn to turn the tables.]

Have you ever been in a situation like this?  Have you ever been where you have the upper hand, the power to change and hurt the aggressor that had hurt you earlier?  If so, what did you do? I think this reveals the true nature of our character.  When you are being bullied, and the roles are reversed, what would you do?  Are you going to respond as the bully did to you?  

This makes me think of a powerful quote: "There but by the grace of God, go I."  That quote reminds us that we should not be so quick to judge, and so quick to state that they deserve what they got.  Does Flash really deserve the humiliation that Peter does to him?  When we are placed in the same situation as the bully are we going to be a worse bully?  It really does make me stop and think about what I would do if I had the power to shape the world as I see fit.  

Another quote that is so often associated with Spider-man is, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Do we hold to that?  Do we acknowledge that those who have more power, those placed in positions of authority have a responsibility?  "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly" James 3:1

Footloose

[Ren (Kevin Bacon) was  challenged to a chicken race with tractors.  He is new in town and hasn't earned his dues yet. So the local hot shot challenged him, and Ren does not know how to drive a tractor.]

We can think about this clip in two different ways. I enjoy the theme of Providence, and I have drawn this message from a lot of the movies I discuss. This movie is no different. It is Providence that allowed his shoe string to get stuck.  It is what ended up taking the former hot-shot and instituted Ren's acceptance into this crowd of young adults.  Providence is that wonderful thing when by happy chance something good comes that would have otherwise not happened.

Another way we can look at this clip is how it demonstrates that our culture holds up fame and fortune as worth. Imagine if Ren had not won the race, would he still have worth in that group of people?  We don't often hear about the quiet hero, but rather we are told that we have to succeed.  We have to be the one who wins the day.  Is our value as a human only summed up by chance, if something fortunate happens, devoid of our choices?  Or is it simply that if I succeed then I am wanted, and valued?  Does it not instead come from the very fact that I am made in the image and likeness of God?  It doesn't really matter if I "fail." In the eyes of the world, Christ failed by being crucified. We are called to enter into that same suffering, to recognize that the lowest among us has value, not because of a fortunate circumstance, or because I have succeeded in gaining recognition for my accomplishments.  Take the time this day to pray for somebody who is less fortunate than you, somebody who is not successful, that they might know their value as a person before God. 

When the Game Stands Tall

[Chris Ryan (Alexander Ludwig) is on the road to win the most scored touchdown record in California.  His dad, Mickey, has just come from the store. He plays at a Catholic school.]

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Mt. 23:12 This student wrote a paper understanding this verse well, since he has taken the time to consider other things besides football.  He knew that football while fun is not his defining aspect. His father has been pushing him and thinking of only that record.  It is an amazing dynamic to watch over the course of the film, the understanding of what the son has to go through, but learns being a man from coach, not his father.

So what am I drawing out from this clip?  To be a good father to your children and be focused on more than just sports?  Close. I am speaking to the point, do we listen to our children?  Do we listen to what they want, what are their hopes, their dreams?  And do we recognize that as much as we compartmentalize in this world, that our children, are full, free human beings.  They have hopes beyond football, or school for that matter.  As the coach looks at Chris he sees a person becoming a man, not so much because of his efforts on the field, but really actually because of his effort off the field.  

I also use this clip to speak to our sports worship we have in our society.  Think about it for a second, what are you willing to sacrifice to make sure your kid gets to that sports practice, that game?  Why is it that Catholic schools practice/have games on Sunday when public schools almost never do?  There seems to be a trend in Catholic schools, as well others, that sports seems to be the most important thing in people's lives.  Ask a kid who his heroes are, they will tend to be sports figures...why?  I think it is because we ourselves spend so much time absorbed in sports.  I am not saying that sports aren't good, or worth doing.  But we have to ask at what place have we put them in our priority list?

Count of Monte Cristo

[the Count of Monte Cristo (Jim Caviezel) is decided to come to the rescue and give the speech for Albert, the boy he saved in Rome.]

Albert is a boy who is looking for a strong male role model.  This is something that we most desperately need in our culture today.  He looks to the Count with gratitude for the speech and looks up to him because he seems to be prepared for every situation.  

Over the course of his speech he ends up stating the very nature of resolve, and what shows us who we are.  It is when the chips are down, when you are in a storm that it is clear to see who you are.  You are not defined only by that experience, but there is something to be said for that experience.  When you have been stripped of all those comforts, or lies you have told yourself and have to face the stark reality that all you have is yourself and your actions that is a powerful moment.  Are we able to take the time, though we may not be in that storm, and face that darkness?  Can we really come to grips with the best and worst parts about us?  

Invictus

[Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) is the captain of South Africa, he stares out the night before the game of the world cup. His wife comes and talks to him.  He is thinking about the life of Nelson Mandela, his president.]

First I apologize for having been gone so long.  I am learning to balance work and being a father.  

So what can we learn from so short a clip?  About the power of one man to change a country.  One man, Mandela, comes out of prison ready to forgive the very people who put him them.  That kind of forgiveness, that strength of soul has a way of moving men beyond themselves.  This is exactly the reason why, on the night before the greatest event for this athlete he is not thinking about the sporting event, but something that moves his soul.  Most people would be thinking about the world cup that he will be playing in the next day, but inside he cannot stop thinking about this amazing man he met, Mandela.

I am always surprised that so many people in the Church do not have a relationship with Christ, they are never truly meet this man who is present before us.  If we but open our eyes to the fact that there is a Face, a Person, who moves us in a way that even before the greatest event in the world like the World Cup, and we were focused on the witness of a Man.  I often hear that people think Christ was something that happened 2000 years ago, and that He was, but He is not regulated to the past unless you put Him there.  He moves through those men and women that we were so touched by this person that they could not help but pursuing and live as this man lived.   

Air Force One

[The President of the United States (Harrison Ford) has come to Russia to celebrate the victory over a dictator who had been captured and put in prison by the US military.]

If only we had a president like this!  It would be nice for a change to have a president who gets up and states what should be said, rather than what is the politically correct thing to say.  The President speaks not from some well crafted speech, but from his heart.  Politicians should take a lesson from this movie.  You might be wondering if I am only going to spend this time going on about politics, but that is not my aim.

What the president did in that speech took courage.  You have to stand up to bullies, not give in to their demands, even if you get beat up.  You show them up by your resilience, I will still be here tomorrow and the day after that and the next day.  To remind them that you will not give up simply because they have power.  Granted, through the course of this movie there are terrorists who rise up and challenge the very courage the president stated.  It is a matter of courage, not just spoken, but lived out.  

Is there anything wrong going on in your world that you had sat idly by while it happened?  "All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke. It is our job as Christian, but also simply as human beings to stand up for what we know to be good, right, and true.  

Sandlot

[Benny, guy in Dodgers hat, has just brought along Smalls to be part of the team, but the guys on the team don't want him.]

I loved this movie growing up.  I wish I had a childhood like this.  None the less, this movie speaks to a current issue that we have today, but also something about our faith.  It speaks of bullying, the team calling him a "geek, L-7 weenie," and all sorts of other insults.  So the Smalls can't play baseball right now, does that mean he is a loser?  So often kids make fun of other people when they have faults of their own.  We need people like Benny to stand up to the bullies of our world.  We need those who see the person on the outside looking in to bring them in, and defend them. Notice the criteria that Benny uses to argue for why Smalls should be allowed to play because Yeah-yeah is part of the game, which means other people should be allowed too.  How else do you think that Yeah-yeah learned how to play in the first place?  Somebody was nice enough to show him how to play.

This leads into the point that is important about our faith.  We are meant to share our faith, not meant to keep it in all the time.  This group of ball players would have been happy to keep playing the way they have always been playing, but if they did that, then their time would eventually die out, just like our faith.  "Faith is not a personal treasure like a bank account or something to be kept in a strong box. A faith that is not shared with others might as well be embalmed." -Pope Francis.  Pope Francis states this so well.  We are meant to have a faith that is contagious and outreaching.  We, as a Church, have been in a defensive mode for so long, but we are not meant to hold on to our life, but rather lose it for His sake.  It is risk that God requires of us.  Attempt to live outside your comfort zone.  Reach out to the so called "losers."  Love people, bring them along to things.  Take the time this weekend to invite somebody to Mass.  

Karate Kid

[Daniel has just gotten done doing a lot of work for Mr. Miyagi, after Mr. Miyagi promised to teach Daniel Karate.  He asked Daniel not to question him, but told him to do all that he asked. Daniel was fed up with doing all these chores for Mr. Miyagi.]

How often are we in this position with God?  We are so upset at what He makes us do?  It seems so pointless, just a bunch of rules to follow that seem to have nothing to do with what I really want.  I would be wrong to think that, just as much as Daniel was wrong to think that Mr. Miyagi was not teaching him Karate.  Miyagi promised Daniel that he would and he did.  This is the same way that Christ looks at us.  He asks us, "do you want to be my disciple, do you want to follow me?"  We say yes, but then we complain about following Him.  

Take this opportunity as the time that God is speaking to you and telling you the reason you have been following the rules is so that you do learn what you set out to do in the first place.  So often people wonder how "following the rules" of the Church, or doing the "right thing" will make us happy.  It is precisely in doing those things that disposes to be happy.  Just as Daniel thought these things had nothing to do with Karate (his goal), we often think that rules have nothing to do with happiness.  Daniel did these tasks, learned the movements for Karate so that when he was attacked he would know what to do, he learned Karate without even knowing it.  We learn what it is to be human by following the rules that Christ has laid done for us.  These rules dispose us to be able to actually handle the problems of life, and retain joy in the face of sorrow. 

The goal of the Christian life is to recognize how He is loving me and teaching me in the mundane tasks of life,  going to work, changing diapers, taking out the trash, loving your kids, being patient with your brother or sister, mom or dad.  Daniel could not see that Karate is contained in the chores of life, just as we cannot see Christ in those same chores, but do not give up hope.  Daniel came to realize slowly, just as we are called to.  Ask God to reveal Himself in the mundane task of today. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

[Ian (John Corbett) is on his first date with Toula (Nia Vordalus).  Toula is Greek, which is kind of a crazy world as she explains, but she feels like she is defined by this world, and that she is trapped.]

Ah, the beauty of a first date.  Do you remember your first date with your husband/wife? fiancee? girl/boyfriend? The beauty of it is coupled up in this understanding that the other person is a mystery that you are fascinated by and want to know more about.  This is a movie in which a girl who feels so trapped by her family is able to come to terms with the fact that there is a bigger wider world that is full of wonderful non-Greek people.  

Toula is on the date with Ian, but she is so overwhelmed, that even though the date is going well she fears that it won't end well because she is Greek.  Ian says it so wonderfully, "we are not different species, we are both human people."  He has clearly stated his intentions, he wants to get to know her.  She is so afraid but our family is the soul definition of who we are.  As the movie unfolds we learn that, of course, family is important.  It does effect and change who we are, but it is not the sole criteria.  Look at me and my brother, or other families and the differences just between siblings, let alone other relations.  We are trapped only so far as we lack the will to act.  

Last Samurai

[Captain Algren (Tom Cruise), an American, had been hired to kill the rebellion that Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) started in Japan.]

There are a lot of things to pull from this clip, starting with the idea that all human beings have emotions.  Yet given these emotions we can still be kind to one another and show respect, even to an enemy.  

They devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they do from the moment of their waking.  This is the same goal for a Christian as it is for the people in this village.  The point of our existence is to "be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect." Mt. 5:48  Some would argue that this is in impossible, and rightly so, yet it is about the pursuit of it that matters.  We ought to pursue to become always aware of this Presence, this God who became man.  It is about discovering that in the moment, the means through which God is choosing to save us.  It is an amazing way to live.

Which leads to the point about how we are called to be servants to one another.  Algren stated that Katsumoto believes that his rebellion is in service to the Emperor, the man he has sworn to defend.  Amazing to think about how violent action can be at the service of somebody.  To borrow from another movie, "people need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy" -Batman Begins. Katsumoto's rebellion is indeed at the service of the Emperor, because he needs a wake-up call to what has been happening in Japan.  The point of life is to live in service and remind those people by the way we live our life that to truly live, we must lose our life for His sake.  To truly live one must live for Another.  

Gone with the Wind

[Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is in love with Ashley (Leslie Howard), all though the reason she loves him so is because he won't give in to Scarlett's advances.  Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) is a man who is not noble, but calls things as he sees them.]

Gone with the Wind is such a classic as far as movies and books go.  The thing that we can gain from this clip is the way Scarlett acts.  How often are we like her that we begin to insult, and moan about when God does not seem to do what we want Him to do?  Ashley told her he never said anything to make her believe that he would marry her.  Ashley only loved her, how she ought to be loved, and that was not in a romantic way.  We get so caught up on what we think God is saying, and don't pay attention to what He does say.  God loves us exactly for who we are, and where we are.  If God were to follow our plans we would end up miserable indeed, which is what will happen to Scarlett when she doesn't follow what is right in front of her, namely Rhett.  

Rhett is somebody that can teach us a thing or two about life.  So often we are caught up in this appearance of what we want people to see, but God cuts through that.  He sees people for who they are, judging their actions, along with the intentions of their hearts.  This is kind of how Rhett sees the world, he calls things how he finds them.  He states that he was paying Scarlett a compliment because this quality of passion is something that makes you live fully, and that is what Rhett intends to do.  I think it would be really nice if we could see more people like Rhett, who are so concerned with their reputation, but call things how they seem them. 

Robin Hood

[a former soldier Robin (Russel Crowe), has been reminded of who his father was, a man who demanded liberty.  Now he is at a meeting of nobles and the king, who need to decided the fate of England.]

Robin over the course of the movie remembers who he is.  But ultimately becomes a "freedom fighter."  Why might you imagine this person has become a person of the hood, a criminal?  Sometimes in order to be just, we need to show the inadequacies in the law, or point to a Law.  Robin in this clip does exactly that, he makes it clear to the king that the best way to have the loyalty of the people is to allow them justice, and a law that even the king himself is bound to you.  "No servant can have two masters.  He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other." Lk. 16:13 The king himself must be subject to law. 

How often in our society do we see a gradation of who is under the authority of the law, like celebrities?  They should be held to the same standard that the average John Doe is.  The other aspect is that the laws of a land should reflect Natural Law, the Law to which we can discover is and is not good for man in general.  Think about it for a second the liberties that Robin talks about is that of which the Church would agree.  Take time today to think about the laws of this country, and whether or not they give us liberty, or bind us under a tyrant?  To quote from another movie, "why should I trade one tyrant 3000 miles away for 3000 tyrants one mile away?  A legislator can trample a man's right just as easily as a king can." -The Patriot

Real Steel

(spoiler!)

[Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was a former boxer who was pretty amazing.  He had gone a shady path, but over the course of the movie we see his friend Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) and his son, Max (Dakota Goyo), change that.]

As I was watching this movie I realized something about a lot of the movies that I love so much, they all have a theme that connects them.  It is the theme of Providence.  Providence is that wonderful thing, knowledge, that there is a plan for our good, not for our ill.  "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you...plans for your welfare and not for woe so as to give you a future of hope." Jer. 29:11  It is this idea that all things are given for our good and maturity.  

This movie is no exception to that wonderful thing.  Charlie Kenton at the beginning of the film is not somebody that we necessarily like but ,through some turn of events, you cannot imagine something good to come out of, something good does come.  Bailey had told Max earlier in the film, to watch Charlie box was one of the most magical things, you would be taken up in the beauty of an athlete that could move so gracefully.  In this clip we see not only the transformation of the life of Charlie, but also of Max.  Charlie has been a crappy dad to Max throughout the film, but he sees his father for the glory that his father is, and Bailey sees that magic once more.  

You can see the joy so present on Charlie's face when he is boxing back to Zeus.  It is amazing to see people so enthralled in the task at hand, to stand back and watch the beauty of what people do.  The emotion in that moment is almost tangible.  At the beginning of the film, nobody could have imagined the outcome, that situation that seemed so dire could be redeemed.  

The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I know it seems like a cop-out, but so often we forget that God is choosing to save us directly from the circumstances that are from us.  I imagine a lot of people, when they get up to the pearly gates and are talking to God they will ask, "Why did you let me get so messed up," or "why was I abused, why did you not step in to save me?"  And He will show us how our life would have been different had those things not happened...and we see the person that we would never have wished to become.  Providence is that guiding factor, reminding us that there is a plan, not that we have to know it, but that He has plans for our good, not our woe.  May you today embrace the knowledge that there is a plan, and that these circumstances no matter how terrible, are given for your good. 

Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

[Peter and his sisters have befriended the Beavers.  His family is supposed to be the people to save Narnia.  Now is the time that he must decide where his allegiance lies.]

What faith related topic do you think I am going to talk about with this clip?  Baptism!  I figured I could give you one that was actually a really beautiful image for what Baptism is all about.  And seeing how we just celebrated last Sunday the Baptism of the Lord, it seemed fitting. So what is the Sacrament of Baptism in our Church?  Well, it is the desire to be accepted into the family of God, becoming an adopted son or daughter of His.  It is done through renunciation for the empty promises of devil, and the pouring of water in the Trinitarian formula; "in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

So how does this clip integrate the parts connected with baptism?  Peter is posed with a choice, to accept the empty lies of the wolf that is threatening his family and his new found family the Beavers, or to follow what he knows to be right, rescuing his family from danger.  He makes his choice to accept the love of his new family (the Beavers) i.e. the Church.  He plunges his family into the water, accepting the role that has been decided for his good, by somebody greater than himself, Aslan.  Aslan is the true king of Narnia.  He accepts this new family as his own, but not in contrast to his natural family.  He chooses a new life for them, one in which they help their new friends, and all of Narnia.  

I let the clip go for quite some time, as well, because with baptism comes a responsibility to care for those of us who are placed in our path.  Then good choices bear good fruit.  This is why at the end of the clip you see new life spring from the once frozen trees.  Life comes from following His will.  Without Aslan (Christ) life is banished to a cold world in which things are sad and boring.  May we today open ourselves up to the beauty of the world around us, and the joy that God has to offer us. 

Frozen

[Anna's sister, the queen, just turned the whole kingdom into an icy world. She has been helped to go find her sister who ran away after it happened by Kristoff.]

Finally, Disney understands the bad romance model they have shown people!  I am glad that Disney takes the time to explain the absurdity of falling in love, and getting married when you don't even know the person.  Kristoff's reaction is good when he learns about this woman who is doing something that seems so stupid.  First, love takes time to develop and grow, just like you don't see the plant when you first put it it the ground.  You have to wait to have it grow, and then you see if it took. The second aspect of this is that when we see people making poor decisions we have an obligation to point out the decision.  

Kristoff also asks, "Didn't your parents teach you not to trust strangers?"  Anna then slides away from Kristoff, no longer trusting him.  My question to Anna would be, do you really think that the man who reminds you of that rule is going to then not be trustworthy?  The very fact that Kristoff brings it up makes him more trustworthy because you know that you need to be wary of new relationships.  When we meet people we have to ask if the person is reasonable, or charming.  Hans is charming to Anna, which is how he is able to woo her so quickly, but Kristoff is reasonable, pointing out throughout the film inconsistencies in logic.  He is a man who takes what is in front of him and accepts it for what it is.  These are the types of friends that we need to find, ones that are reasonable, and those are the new people, "strangers," we need to trust. 

Lastly, Kristoff is humble by acknowledging that he himself does not possess love expertise, but he knows people who do.  This is how we ought to respond as Christians.  I am not  an expert, but I know Somebody who is.  We point to others, who are better than us in certain circumstances.  This does not mean that Kristoff thinks he is worthless, or being falsely modest, he is being true to what he knows:  "I have friends who know what love is, and they have shown me what it is to live." 

Apollo 13

[Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) is being interviewed about his life as a pilot.  He was interviewed because he is the Captain for the Apollo 13 space flight to the moon. His wife, and daughter watch.  It is said that Apollo 13 (the real story) was a successful failure.]

I really enjoy when Hollywood takes the time to tell the true stories our culture has already experienced.  It brings that story to a new generation and has lots to offer them.  I was not even alive when the mission of Apollo 13 took place.  My parents hadn't even meet yet.  They were in middle school.  Yet this is a story that has a lot to teach us in this modern era.  

I love the way that Jim is able to look at a circumstance that was terrible, and recognize Providence in it.  He mentions that had his lights not shorted out he would not have been able to see the green in the water, and ultimately find his way home.  The line he stated is so beautiful for us, "You never know what events are going to transpire to get you home."  How true is this for us as well?  So often I hear people complain, myself included, about why we have to go through painful experiences, or unpleasant ones, but many times that is the means that God is using to bring us home, to heaven.  It is Him reaching down and shorting out your cockpit lights so that you can see the thing that will get you home.  

Earlier he stated that one of his instruments that should have led him home had been hijacked by the enemy and would have led him in the wrong direction.  How many times does that happen in our own lives?  We trust something because it has always steered us right before, but the Enemy is crafty.  He can use things that we have always trusted to bring us away from our home.  God wants us home, and sometimes He uses the most unusual of circumstances, things that might seem like He has abandoned us, to bring us to Him. 

Benchwarmers

[Gus (Rob Schneider) had picked on Marcus all throughout his child hood.  He picked on him so bad he had to be institutionalized (or at least they state that in the movie). Gus has become the hero of a team, that has spoken up for the untouchables.]

There might be some of you out there who still believe that Marcus is weird, and that he was worthy to be picked on, or at least he should have had thicker skin.  Let me tell you that you are wrong.  Marcus is weird, and unusual, but he is still a human being, and is made in the image and likeness of God.  We so often forget that every person is a reflection, a manifestation if you will, of God.  We are called to love that person just as we would God.

Gus did an amazing thing in this clip, he showed love.  He shows it in multiple ways.  Gus came to show Marcus that he was sorry his actions, he admitted that he was wrong.  That is a very hard thing to do for anyone especially in this day and age.  Gus stood there before somebody who had every right to hate him for what Gus had done to him, and apologize.  Courage and humility often work together, like in this scene, with Gus asking for forgiveness when he had done something wrong. Humility is about recognize the way things are, and having the courage to make the truth stand.  Gus is not the true hero of the team, but rather Marcus.  He was being a man that did not seek the glory for his own interests, but rather that of the good of others, which is evident throughout the movie. 

Gus had learned his lesson growing up, which is why he took the time to go and say he was sorry to the person he had first wounded by his careless actions.  He was willing to go to the true root of the issue rather than just changing his behavior in the present.  We have deep wounds, are we willing to go all the way to the beginning to scrub out all that scar tissue?  

Tangled

[Flynn has just been mortally wounded, and Rapunzel wants to use her hair to save him.  Her evil "mother" has been abusing this power of her hair for years, and we will continue to abuse it.  The power of Rapunzel's hair makes her young.]

I love Disney movies, especially when they can show us good things, not just happy things.  More often then not we see the happy-go-lucky part of Disney, but this one shows the nature of what it is to be a man, what is written on a man's heart.  This is true for women as well, but there is something natural about how it comes to a man.  

Flynn cuts the hair from Rapunzel before she has a chance to heal him.  Why does he do this?  It is to protect Rapunzel.  Her "mother" had been using Rapunzel all along and the whole reason why Flynn got hurt in the first place was trying to prevent the mother from ever using Rapunzel again.  Yes, it could have saved Flynn, but the nature of what it is to be a man is to lay down his life for the good of others, especially the one he loves.  He is a good man who puts the needs and life of his love, Rapunzel, before his own.  "There is no greater love, than to lay down one's life, for one's friend." -John 15:13.  It is the very nature of love to be sacrificial, to will the good of the other as other.

This is what we have so often forgotten in our modern age.  We think of love as an emotion, as something that makes us feel good.  That is not love, it is a fickle emotion, that comes and goes.  Love is to think of the other, to put their needs before your own.  The point of living and loving "is not thinking less of myself; it is thinking of yourself less." - C.S. Lewis