The Gospel according to Frozen
Out of my top ten movies in life I would venture to say that at least half of them, if not more are animated, most of them made by Disney. Anyone who knows me knows that Inception is on the top of my list and it would take quite a bit to unseat that one. In a close 2nd is How To Train Your Dragon, and aside from The Dark Knight basically pick a Pixar movie not called Cars2 and insert them in any order you please and I will most likely agree with you. This movie however not made by Pixar follows the more traditional Disney animated stream (i.e. Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, and The Little Mermaid)
Now most know that I am a visual person. As briefly as I can sum it up, it’s near impossible for me to turn the visual side of my mind off. I am always, looking, thinking, and creating even when I don’t want to. This is the way I have always been wired since birth but since Jesus took over my life In 2006, He has directed me in such a way that I now look, think, and create for my Creator. So I am always looking for the gospel in everything. I believe that is #HonorCulture coming out in me. I am constantly looking for the good in everything, and just like seeing “FOR SALE” signs in every yard when you’re looking to buy a house, if you are looking for it, you can find the good, the good news, the gospel in everything!
So here we go! In Disney’s most recent animation production of Frozen, much good news can be found in this simple yet profound story. Similar to Disney’s previous hit, Tangled, Frozen shares a more complex story line than your typical animated film. The story centers on two sisters, princesses really, Elsa the older and Anna the younger. Elsa has a unique skill in that she can create her own winter wonderland in her bedroom and this is where the fun begins! I will do my best to share 5 things I have seen in this film that effectively preach the gospel.
1.) Creation has a Creator.
To steal a facebook post from an amazing Pastor friend of mine (and epic Dad of 4) Jason Banks said:
“It’s a funny thing that Olaf didn’t appear by chance from random snowflakes but was created by Elsa.”
The bible is clear: God is equally sovereign as He is detailed. Nothing happens by chance, and certainly, though it may seem so to us, nothing is random.
"For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." -Romans 1:20 (niv)
I have always told people that creation points to a creator as a building points to a builder. When you look at a building you see that it exists and know that it was built for an intended function by an intended builder. The earth and all of it’s creation is the same.
In the movie Frozen, there is a moment when, as kids Elsa creates Olaf with form, shape, and character and both her and Anna interact and play with him though he has no life. Later in the film Anna encounters Olaf but now He is brought to life. Seeing Olaf causes Anna to remember Elsa creating him. This is the gospel I see in this.. When I wake up in the morning and look at the beautiful sunrise, take a magnifying glass to a snowflake, listen to the way a G chord sounds, or watch my son run the way I did when I was 4 years old I see (and hear) God. I see the designer in His design. Nothing lacking detail, nothing random, but ALL created with an intended function.
2.) Don’t be Afraid of The Gifts He’s Given You.
Toward the beginning of this film Elsa is faced with a dilemma. Her creative powers are growing beyond her control. In response to this, a portion of the film is spent showing Elsa’s parents teaching her how to “manage” her problem. “Conceal don’t feel” is one of the main lyrics in an early song and gloves are worn by Elsa to conceal and control her problem. But early on we see Elsa thriving in her gift. Her ability to create is seen as that; a gift, not a problem. We see her in joy laughing, building a snowman, and playing with Anna, creating a winter wonderland in their ballroom. Then one incident causes this gift to become a problem..
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” -1 Cor. 14:1 (niv)
Paul is saying this to the church in Corinth who knows the gifts of the Spirit and has become familiar with them. He is urging them on to live in the gifts that God has given them. Not to be ashamed of them but to desire them. To search them out, because as we know from Chapter 12 that God gives the gifts as He wills, meaning some have the gifts of teaching, others helps, others tongues, others the interpretation of tongues.. He shows them this by picturing the human body in the way it operates. Not everyone can be an elbow, but if God has given you the ability to be an elbow then be the best elbow there is. Don’t try to be a foot when He’s created you to be an elbow. Don’t be afraid of your feelings, for God gave you those as well. I’ve heard MANY times, “don’t base (insert decision here) on your feelings.” And to a certain degree I agree with that, obviously we all should be sober and diligent in prayer, but God gave you feelings too.
You don’t think that Jesus FELT the desire for the cup to passover Him as He was praying in the garden? What about when Lazarus died? Jesus wept. Was He weeping from prayer or feeling? He was crying because He was feeling and expressing sorrow. Romans chapter 12 commands us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who are mourning; why? Because people will see Jesus in your humility. When you are real to who He created you to be.. People see Jesus, and ultimately it glorifies God!
While at Horeb Bible College on a recent trip to the Philippines one of my mentor’s Pastor Tommy Pinkerton spoke to the students about the 7 C’s of a great leader. All 7 of them are addressed in this film in one way or another. They are: Call. Connected. Character. Committed. Charisma. Competency. and Consistency. Two of them are especially expressed in one sequence from this film (the importance as a leader of being connected and having competency) when Kristoff, Sven, Anna, and Olaf go visit Kristoff’s “family” aka the trolls or “The Love Experts” There is an occurrence in the film where Anna is stuck by Elsa accidentally and her heart begins to freeze over and this causes Kristoff to remember a certain people group that can help her. Early in the film a young-boy Kristoff witnesses from afar these same people ‘cure’ Anna from the accidental ice strike from Elsa to Anna’s head when they were kids. In this scene the head troll examines her and says “You were lucky it wasn’t the heart, for the heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded.” Hmm. Romans 12:2 “do not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind..” Prov. 23:7 “as a man thinks in his heart so is he..” The mind is a powerful thing! But nonetheless they venture on to the love experts, upon which Olaf chimes in.. “I like to consider myself a love expert.”
When they get to where Kristoff’s family lives, he starts talking to some round boulders lying on the ground saying to one “oh you’ve lost weight”.. to another “a sight for sore eyes” This baffles and confuses Anna and Olaf and they consider running. Eventually the rocks are exposed as disguises and the trolls emerge and greet Anna and Olaf, and of course as happens quite often in Frozen they sing a song, aptly called “Fixer Upper.” In the bridge of that song there is a lyric I particularly enjoyed:
“We’re not sayin’ you can change him,
‘Cause people don’t really change.
We’re only saying that love’s a force
That’s powerful and strange.
People make bad choices if they’re mad,
Or scared, or stressed.
Throw a little love their way.
And you’ll bring out their best.”
After the song the head elder once again declares danger to Anna’s condition, but this time accompanied by his remorse in that he can’t cure her because it’s in her heart. He says “Only a true act of love can thaw a frozen heart.” (see point 4) But in all of this singing, dancing, and exchange I see this significance: Kristoff was a good leader because he was connected to competency. Essentially he was acting out 1 Peter 2:17 which says:
"Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." (kjv)
As Pastor Tommy was preaching on the seven C’s in the Philippines he instructed that a good leader is not only connected, but is connected up. What this means is that a good leader is not so proud to think they can just do it all on their own. A good leader recognizes that there are things others do well that they don’t do so well, and they connect with them to further the kingdom. Kristoff knew that he couldn’t cure Anna but he knew someone who he was connected to that had the competency (ability) to do so. I find it also significant, and funny that this “family” of love experts were rocks, from a smelly place, and just odd.. This in essence is truly submitting to community. When we are called to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21) that means that we will have to submit to people that we don’t like, people who don’t look, act, or believe the way we do. Community is slow. It’s hard work. It’s heavy handed at times to get things done with community because there are so many opinions, but it’s God’s design that we live this way. (see Hebrews 10:25) Community is important to God. Grace comes through submission to community. Honor comes in community. God flows through community.
After meeting with the trolls, Kristoff, Anna, Sven and Olaf head back toward Arrendale with this commission ”Only a true act of love can thaw a frozen heart.” From the movie we are led to believe that this true act of love is a “true love’s kiss” from Prince Hans. Once Anna is safe and alone with Prince Hans we find his true motive; marry Anna, get rid of Elsa, so he would have the throne. He denies her “true love kiss” and leaves her frozen. Olaf makes his way into see Anna and he builds a fire to keep her warm. She says to him “I don’t even know what true love is.” Olaf responds with my favorite line of the movie.. “That’s okay. I do! Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours.” He then stands by the fire and Anna says “Olaf! You’re melting!” and he responds with another classic line “some people are worth melting for.”
Anna flees the castle to get to a returning Kristoff for her true act of love, but in doing so finds herself at a crossroads.. With time “frozen” by Elsa, Prince Hans draws his sword to put away Elsa and claim his throne. With Kristoff close and Anna’s life fading, she has a decision to make.. Kiss Kristoff or save her sister’s life. With what little energy she has left she runs over and stands in between Prince Hans and his sword in the motion of striking Elsa.. She completely freezes and gives her life to save her sister. Thus the plot is fully revealed in that the “true act of love” was Anna’s toward her sister. Completely undeserved self-sacrificial love that thawed a frozen heart.
The very first time I watched this movie in the theaters and saw this scene I immediately thought of Jesus’ act of love for us and this particular verse:
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” -John 15:13 (nkjv)
In this I heard again the trolls words “Only a true act of love can thaw a frozen heart.” Is there any truer act of love in the history of mankind than this:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8
The words of the troll preach the gospel as clear as many sermons I’ve heard.. “Only a true act of love can thaw a frozen heart.”
ONLY what Jesus did on the cross, the very definition of love, can thaw a heart that is frozen in sin. Dead in transgressions, but alive in Christ, only through His sacrifice! Glory to God!! He did it for you friend! He did it for me! When I look at Calvary my heart is thawed. Some people are worth melting for. Jesus is worth dying for!
5.) Every Tribe, Every Tongue. Let It Go.
The song “Let It Go” has gone viral. Worldwide. It’s a hit many countries, topping charts, in the hearts, and on the lips of people of all ages from all over the world. When I purchased the dvd “for my kids” (cough cough) the English version of Let It Go plays along as the ending credits roll. But as with many dvd’s today, Frozen was made to play as a sort of looping playlist, never getting stuck on the dvd menu for too long. After the movie credits end the same song begins to play but this time sang in a different language. Then again after that in another language.. After that.. you guessed it.. Let It Go in another language.. The first time I noticed this I was in another room and as I just set and listened it reminded me of the best day of my life on July 22nd 2007.
To keep an already long blog from being even longer here’s the short and sweet: In a little church in Guatemala I was on a mission trip and Americans with us on the trip were singing to God in English but I heard Spanish. God revealed Himself (among many other things) to me in that little place and I gave the rest of my life to Him right there and haven’t stopped running since.
The significance here is this:
“For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” -Romans 14:11 (nlt)
Part of the marketing approach of Frozen was to connect this movie to the world, and I find it interesting they accomplished this through a song, and they did it very well. Just give it a listen:
<iframe width=”1280” height=”720” src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/OC83NA5tAGE” frameborder=”0” allowfullscreen></iframe>
This excites me because when I listen to the song no matter what the language I get at least an idea of what they are singing because the music is the same. The rhythm is the same, the building and the slowing of the song, all the same. You know what I see here?
God is the heartbeat, the rhythm, the music, the constant. And every tribe, tongue and nation, as a result of the story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 still sings one voice to Him. I believe this is a small glimpse into what worship will sound like in heaven. We may not understand here on earth how to worship in Korean, but once we are worshiping beside our Korean brothers and sisters in heaven, i get the sense no matter what language we’re praising in, it will all sound the same to Him: praise.
You’re a son, you’re a daughter, so let not your heart be frozen, for many are called, but few are chosen!
The cold never bothered me anyway,
