These will probably be my last posts about the movie Frozen although I can’t guarantee it. I talked about why Frozen was so compelling and how fairy tails point to a much grander much greater story. *Spoilers* (Please don’t read on if you don’t want to know some of the details from the movie.)
Frozen didn’t follow the typical Disney fairy tale model of Girl happy, Girl meets boy, Witch angry, Girl taken, Boy saves girl with magic kiss. Frozen tells the story of a girl born with a special gift, she can makes snow and ice in various forms at will. As a young girl she accidentally freezes her sister’s head. The sister is fixed by the magic of a troll. As a result the eldest girl “Elsa” stays in her room because the older she gets the stronger her gift becomes. She stays away from everyone to hide her secret and to keep from accidentally hurting anyone. At her coronation her younger sister confronts her about shutting everyone out and she gets angry and shoots ice across the hall her secret is exposed and she leaves to live her life alone and free.
1. Our problems (sin) effect others far more than we realize
2. The law says conceal grace says revel – The greatest power sin has over us is it’s ability to separate us from the very people God has placed in our lives to set us free. – James 5:16 says Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.”
Those who remain alone with their evil are left utterly alone. It is possible that Christians may remain lonely in spite of daily worship together, prayer together, and all their community through service—that the final breakthrough to community does not occur precisely because they enjoy community with one another as pious believers, but not with one another as those lacking piety, as sinners. For the pious community permits no one to be a sinner. Hence all have to conceal their sins from themselves and from the community. We are not allowed to be sinners. Many Christians would be unimaginably horrified if a real sinner were suddenly to turn up among the pious. So we remain alone with our sin, trapped in lies and hypocrisy, for we are in fact sinners. (Bonhoeffer, Life Together)
The law says you are a great sinner, if you were to come to church the walls would cave in. The law says this is where you have fallen short. The law is a cruel master but without the law we would never be able to see grace.
However, the grace of the gospel, which is so hard for the pious to comprehend, confronts us with the truth. It says to us, you are a sinner, a great, unholy sinner. Now come, as the sinner that you are, to your God who loves you. For God wants you as you are, not desiring anything from you—a sacrifice, a good deed—but rather desiring you alone. “My child, give me your heart”(Bonhoeffer, Life Together)
Grace says revel. Grace says you are loved more than you deserve. Grace says come as you are. Grace doesn’t abolish the law but in light of the law shows you how great of a Savor we have.
2 comments On How the gospel can be seen in the move Frozen: The law says conceal grace says reveal
This is a great post. Sam, I think that you intended to say, “Grace says reveal” instead of “Grace says revel.” But both work! And “revel” may be better. Grace doesn’t just encourage us to open up. It encourages us to open up and then enjoy the presence–even revel in the presence–of the One who knows us fully and still loves us more than we can dream!
True enough on both counts.