I took Isaac and Anna to see The Wild this afternoon and really enjoyed it. It has a number of similarities to Madagascar, but I think The Wild is better. I’ll leave reviews to the professionals; what I want to comment on are the father/son relationships presented in the movie. (I should note, too, that my comments will probably contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the film and don’t want any surprises ruined, then read another post.)
The story focuses on the lion Samson, the pride of the New York Zoo, and his son Ryan. Samson regales Ryan with stories of his fearlessness back in the wild and is teaching him to roar; unfortunately, Ryan can’t pull it off, producing only loud meows. Feeling like a failure compared to his father’s immense reputation, Ryan heads off to find “the wild.” Too late, he changes his mind, and Samson follows to rescue him. As Samson and his friends pursue Ryan, we discover that Samson’s not as fearless as he appears, and we learn that he has a secret. At a crucial point in the story, Samson, reunited with his son, tells Ryan that he never lived in the wild, and that he failed to roar when he most needed to as a cub. In the flashback, we see Samson separated from his father, and we see the disappointment of the father as well.
The Wild offers clear illustrations of a number of ideas in Eldredge’s Wild at Heart: the wound that’s frequently passed from father to son, the need to discover/recover the wildness within the masculine heart. What I appreciated about this movie is that while Ryan is initially disappointed that his father lied to him, he doesn’t hold it against him very long at all. In fact, soon after, he says to Samson, “I’m sorry you didn’t have a dad like I have.” And we see Samson become what he was created to be: a fearless lion.
I can relate to Samson; I feel like I’m learning how to do the whole “man” thing along with Zack, my oldest; I’m blessed that Zack, like Ryan, is not the kind to hold my failures against me and that he recognizes I’m learning too.
On the way home from a movie, I always ask the kids to tell what they liked best. For The Wild, Isaac, not surprisingly, picked one of the silly moments (a break-dancing wildebeest). I was very much surprised, though, that Anna said her favorite part was when we learn about Samson’s childhood failure in front of his father. I asked her why she chose that part; she said, “Because it was sad and because we see what happened to the daddy lion.” Smart little girl!
Samson’s saving grace is that he has a real, ongoing relationship with his son. It’s not his supposed “wildness” that makes him a great father; it’s his daily interaction with Ryan. I use grace purposely: I’ve come to realize that my ability to spend a lot of time with my children is a gift, a grace from God. I’ve learned that regular interaction and a ready willingness to say “I’m sorry” make up for a host of hurts and mistakes. The Wild illustrates this beautifully.
Tagged as:
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I saw V for Vendetta Tuesday night; it’s about the overthrow of a totalitarian government. It’s also very much about the power of fear. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that oppressive governments trade in fear–Iraq under Saddam Hussein is a clear picture of that. V for Vendetta did a better job of making this clear than other films I’ve seen in this genre, in part because Evey, the main character, has to overcome her own fears to make a difference in the world around her.
What stood out to me most is a statement, fairly early in the story, that the citizens allowed the oppressive government to come in. In the world of V, the chancellor was elected, so on the most literal level the people of Britain did allow their own oppression. But the bigger point the film makes is that they allowed it because of fear. The chancellor preyed on their fears of disease, anarchy, difference–a range of physical, political, and moral threats–and got the people to trade their freedom for “safety.”
This got me thinking about myself and the spiritual dimensions of oppression. When have I traded my freedom because of fear? Though we don’t actually verbalize it, we make alliances with the enemy out of fear. We hear God calling us to step out–maybe something as simple as speaking about our faith to a non-Christian. And almost immediately, we also hear the voice of fear: what if they reject you? what if you offend them? It’s safer just to keep quiet. And so we trade our freedom for a supposed safety that is borne of fear.
But here’s the catch: the “safety” we’ve opted for is no safety at all. It’s confinement. Because the next time we are faced with the opportunity, it will be just that much easier to trade freedom–to trade opportunity–for fear and “safety”. V shows that the safer the people are, the more restricted their lives become.
Israel in the wilderness is a good example of this: given a choice between the uncertainty of the Promised Land and the relative safety of oppression in Egypt, they wanted oppression. But of course, they didn’t phrase it that way. Few of us, if offered a choice between oppression and freedom would opt for oppression. Instead, they thought of the “cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic” (Numbers 11:5). From our perspective, it’s easy to make fun of them for ignoring the realities of forced labor and infanticide. But I’m not so sure we are all that different.
I find it interesting that God keeps telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, to not fear (see Joshua 1). Joshua had already proved himself a mighty warrior; he had been with Moses for years and seen the works of God. We would think that Joshua wouldn’t have a fear problem, but clearly he did. And I take great comfort in that! If Joshua had all this experience of God’s power and still needed some encouragement to not fear, then I don’t have to be so hard on myself for feeling some fear along the way.
The key, it seems to me, is perspective. Time and again, the Israelites looked at things the wrong way and so made wrong choices–think of Caleb and Joshua versus the other ten spies. Moving beyond fear doesn’t require that we ignore or downplay the very real risks–but it does mean weighing the costs of the supposed safety versus the costs of stepping out. In V for Vendetta, the citizens finally rose up because they saw an example of courage and they started to see their “safety” for what it was: oppression.
That’s my prayer: clear vision. Jesus said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). I get clear vision–I get freedom–when I know the truth.
Father, I want clear vision, I want Your perspective on my choices. Show me where I have traded my freedom for fear. Help me to see the truth. And help me to be strong and courageous so that I can have all You promised me.
Tagged as:
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Charis means grace, and that’s what this blog is about: grace, in all its—sometimes messy, always magnificent—manifestations. I’m Dan Butcher, and I invite you to join me in learning to lead a Christ-centered, grace-filled life. 
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.