The Disney Movie Frozen has become an immediate cult classic, seemingly overnight. I find myself humming the song “Let It Go” on a regular basis. The story of a girl with a powerful freezing malady that is so powerful it threatens everyone she touches. Her power extends well beyond touch though and ratchets up to encompassing a whole village and even a small area of her country. Her final act of freedom and release is the building of an ice castle on a mountain that is far away from everyone else. Of course, this is the part where she can really let go and the singing of this very familiar song is added to emphasize the letting go point. She is in her element in the castle she has built in the cold and it “doesn’t really bother her anyway.” Her sister on the other hand, doesn’t have the freezing power, but her power is centered around an uncompromising love for her chilly sister. Anna is amazing in her desire to reach out to Elsa to let her know she can come back to the village. Her journey up the mountain to reach Elsa almost gets her killed, but she still won’t give up. She believes that Elsa is still reachable and will do anything she can to reach her.
This story brings to mind the difference between those who are followers of Jesus Christ (true love) and a lost and dying (freezing) world. When we realize that God has chosen all believers to reach this world with His gospel and that we are the ones carrying the warm love of Christ with us, we will climb any mountains to let those who are lost (freezing) see that there is still hope for them. 1 Peter 2:9-12 says, “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you – 10 from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. 12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” For those who call the name of Jesus, we are chosen to serve Him with loving hearts that reach out to the frozen hearts and offer them the warmth of salvation so they can spend eternity in our heavenly village. No longer outcasts, but citizens of heaven. When we accept Christ we are no longer to be frozen in our cold, sinful nature, but we are chosen to go reach others for our Lord. Many have strayed so far from the reality of change, that they seem unapproachable, but we are commissioned to go and let them know there is still hope. Hope for eternity, hope for new life, hope for salvation. The Gospel has a way of warming hearts and bringing people out of their frozen condition when they hear of the hope that it offers. But those who have the hope have become frozen like those who don’t know God and that freezing is spreading everywhere without anyone standing up to make a difference. That is where believers come into the picture and change everything. We realize our chosen task and resist the freezing that wants to take over everything, thus causing death.
We go up against the mountainous resistance that those who are lost offer us and give them back love. God’s love. I thought that Kristoff was going to kiss Anna with a kiss of true love to make everything right, but instead it was the love Anna had for Elsa, her sister, that broke the freeze that had ruined their village. Love conquered!!! Then the whole village started to thaw and everyone was affected. Just think of the effect it would have if Disciples were to have that kind of selfless love for those who are frozen in their sin. It would be epic!! So what’s to be the end of this story. I see a day where the frozen, realize they are the chosen and go up the mountains of doubt in people’s lives and reach them with an uncompromising love that calls them to salvation. I then see those frozen ones thawing out spiritually and others joining their ranks to reach the world like our Lord has called us to. Then I see no more frozen, but chosen. Chosen to share the message of Christ and extending the warmth of the Gospel wherever they go. It’s time to thaw out the joy of our salvation and share it with others once again as never before.
There is a world full of Elsa’s just waiting to see that others care enough to approach their ice castles of unbelief and extend a hand of love, real warm love. God’s Love. Are you frozen? Time to thaw out and Let it Go in a good way. By the way, the cold does REALLY bother God anyway….
The Pilgrimage continues…
David Warren