Last night, I saw the movie Maleficent for the first time. It made me care about the villain of Sleeping Beauty, especially since the story is nearly completely different than the Disney classic. I saw her as an individual, instead of a monster.
In this version, Maleficent, a fairy, falls in love with a human boy. Though they grow apart, he returns to warn her the king is trying to kill her. He then knocks her unconscious, cuts off her beautiful wings, and returns them to this king, securing his place as heir to the throne. The fairy harbored resentment in her heart for this young man and later cursed his daughter to die (or at least sleep forever) unless awoken by true love's kiss, which she does not believe exists. Maleficent and Aurora, the princess, become friends, and it is the sorceress' love for her which breaks the spell.
Despite the happy ending, Maleficent wastes much of her life on thoughts of revenge and torment. One exchange between her and the little princess stood out to me. Aurora asked if the evil fairy had wings, and Maleficent replies, "...They were strong. They could carry me above the clouds and into the headwinds. And they never faltered, not even once. I could trust them." Her entire life was forged around these wings. They were her identity. Then they were gone, and she had nothing.
Without realizing it, we often turn into Maleficent. We hold one piece of ourselves as our identity, and we trust no one with it or the rest of us. My life feels out of control a lot. I hear about terrorist attacks and watch friends' relationships fall apart, and I feel like I can do nothing. What if my relationship crumbles? Or, worse, what if it doesn't, but one day, he just never comes home?
All of us know there is not much I or any human can do about these issues, but sometimes, we have the ability to make ourselves feel better. We turn to alcohol to drown the anxiety. We turn to drugs to forget the real world. We turn to pornography and masturbation to make ourselves feel good the only way we know how. Because if we are too intoxicated to see it or if we can still get sexual pleasure, the problem goes away.
Until the next time.
Until the feeling wears off. Until we remember how bad the world really is, and we need that extra drink, that extra high, that extra feeling to keep going. The cycle is vicious. Once you find that one thing you think you can control, you return to it over and over. Eventually, it starts to control you, and addiction is born.
What Maleficent never realized is her value is not in her wings. She learned not to trust anyone when there were others willing to help her. As Christians, we are to trust in God for our identity and our lives. Psalm 56:3 says, "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." He is far more than capable of taking care of us, even if we do not feel it.
In this version, Maleficent, a fairy, falls in love with a human boy. Though they grow apart, he returns to warn her the king is trying to kill her. He then knocks her unconscious, cuts off her beautiful wings, and returns them to this king, securing his place as heir to the throne. The fairy harbored resentment in her heart for this young man and later cursed his daughter to die (or at least sleep forever) unless awoken by true love's kiss, which she does not believe exists. Maleficent and Aurora, the princess, become friends, and it is the sorceress' love for her which breaks the spell.
Despite the happy ending, Maleficent wastes much of her life on thoughts of revenge and torment. One exchange between her and the little princess stood out to me. Aurora asked if the evil fairy had wings, and Maleficent replies, "...They were strong. They could carry me above the clouds and into the headwinds. And they never faltered, not even once. I could trust them." Her entire life was forged around these wings. They were her identity. Then they were gone, and she had nothing.
Without realizing it, we often turn into Maleficent. We hold one piece of ourselves as our identity, and we trust no one with it or the rest of us. My life feels out of control a lot. I hear about terrorist attacks and watch friends' relationships fall apart, and I feel like I can do nothing. What if my relationship crumbles? Or, worse, what if it doesn't, but one day, he just never comes home?
All of us know there is not much I or any human can do about these issues, but sometimes, we have the ability to make ourselves feel better. We turn to alcohol to drown the anxiety. We turn to drugs to forget the real world. We turn to pornography and masturbation to make ourselves feel good the only way we know how. Because if we are too intoxicated to see it or if we can still get sexual pleasure, the problem goes away.
Until the next time.
Until the feeling wears off. Until we remember how bad the world really is, and we need that extra drink, that extra high, that extra feeling to keep going. The cycle is vicious. Once you find that one thing you think you can control, you return to it over and over. Eventually, it starts to control you, and addiction is born.
What Maleficent never realized is her value is not in her wings. She learned not to trust anyone when there were others willing to help her. As Christians, we are to trust in God for our identity and our lives. Psalm 56:3 says, "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." He is far more than capable of taking care of us, even if we do not feel it.
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
- Matthew 6:31-34
- Matthew 6:31-34