When they started, they were telling the story of "The Snow Queen," Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the evil woman who captured a boy's heart and kept him prisoner in her icy realm. And they relished the possibility of creating a new, iconic Disney villain; someone to join such evildoers as Ursula, Scar, Captain Hook, and Cruella de Vil.
Everything was in place to do that. The Snow Queen has formed the basis for many a literary villain. Author after author has used her evil for their variations on the theme. Take C. S. Lewis' White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: she was so evil she had transformed Narnia into a land where it "was always winter, but never Christmas."
But, as anyone who has seen Frozen knows, that is NOT what happened in the movie. Elsa did NOT become the villain of Frozen. And now that we know the disparity between the original plan and the eventual outcome, we have to ask: what changed?
It was the song.
Animated movies, particularly Disney animated movies, are complex enterprises with many pieces, most of which move along on parallel tracks at the same time. Story writers, song writers, artists, etc., are all working on the same project, but are not in contact with each other every day. So, perhaps it is understandable that those helming the movie did not hear the song "Let It Go" until later in the process. But when they finally heard it, well . . .
It changed everything.
Suddenly, based on the lyrics of that song, Elsa was no longer a two dimensional villain, but rather a complex person who had reasons for freezing everyone out. You've heard the song and you've seen the changes it wrought.
We are like Elsa. As it says in this week's Lectionary selection from Romans 8, we are in suspense until God fulfills our hope for redemption. We find we must await the work of the Spirit in our lives; "to help us in our weakness," to intercede for us while we are still in flux, to lead us through the process of becoming.
When they started, Elsa was the villain. When they finished their work, she was the redeemed.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu
Day of Pentecost (May 24, 2015)
Acts 2:1-21 or Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:22-27 or Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
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How great it would be to see you at Lectionary Breakfast this Friday morning! If you can, meet us at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" for a hearty breakfast, enjoyable companions, and life-changing scripture.
No one gets the cold shoulder.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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