What is your favorite childhood movie?
We all have that one movie we adored when growing up. Something we watched time and time again and still feel nostalgic watching it now. For me, it’s The Lion King. It’s still my favorite Disney movie to date. So, when Mufasa; The Lion King came out last month, I had to see it. I did love it.
Everyone has their own reasons for picking their favorite movies. Could be they’re funny, could be a quote or the storyline, could be the characters. There’s a million reasons as to why someone would name a movie their favorite. When I tell people my favorite Disney movie is The Lion King, they’re not surprised. I’m a zookeeper. I love animals. Lions are my second favorite animals. Of course I would love The Lion King. However, there’s also a deeper reason.
Everyone knows the story. Simba is deceived into believing he killed his father and he runs away. He’s trapped by guilt and shame and is afraid to face his family again after what he did. He’s wasted the time it takes for a young lion to grow up by eating bugs and avoiding his troubles. He’s lost his way.
One of the major scenes in the movie is Simba looking up to the clouds and being reminded by Mufasa of who he is. He’s the son of a king and he has a purpose in life. With some sense knocked into him, he goes back home to face his past.
Everyone gets into a dark place. We’re deceived by doubt and shame, and we try to avoid our troubles, and possibly our purpose, when they seem too scary or painful to face. I like to look at The Lion King from a Christian perspective. When we lose our way, sometimes we need to be reminded that we’re the children of the King. We all have purpose and we don’t face anything alone. He lives in us, after all.
“He lives in you,
He lives in me,
He watches over everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you”
~”He Lives in You” song lyrics by Lebo M
nikki diekemper 