However, the best part of the whole film will never happen to me again, even if I watch it 1000 times. Why? Because I'll never get to watch it again with the kid that sat to my left in the row below me on that night. He literally made the whole film for me just ten times better.
Here's why: At the moment in the movie, the climax, where everything seems lost...
Sidebar: Let's be honest, we all knew it was going to be okay because we knew this film wasn't going to end badly like the real Romeo and Juliet story, because it's a kids movie and no one makes a G-rated spoof of R & J to break the hearts and souls of toddlers and small children; but if they did, I secretly commend them for being true to the story and cinematically daring but then I would publicly condemn them like everyone else...I'm just saying...okay, back to the point.
...this little boy (a pre-schooler), right in the middle of the awkward "are they alive or are they dead?" silence gets out of his chair, stands to his feet and yells:
"Nooooo! It cannot be!"
It was one of the greatest moments of my long movie going career. You just can't script that, you just can't plan those sort of things and they just make the movie so much better. But the real power in that statement came to me much later on that night while I was in bed trying to fall asleep.
Most of us want the movie to end well. Most people on this planet want to see Romeo (or rather, Gnomeo) and Juliet live. I like the fact that some movies and other stories end tragically because I think that's more in tune with reality. But, everyone has seen the movie or read the story that ends badly when we are all so desperate for it to have a happy ending.
I mean...this toddler...you should have heard his voice. It was so honest and so innocent as he proclaimed his longing to see this tragedy end in peace and joy and happiness. I think that most adults, regardless of culture, look out on the world they see, either first hand or through the news media, and say the same thing: "No...It cannot be."
The real tragedy is that the world seems so confused about what is really broken. We're either in denial or we just have outright blindness to the fact that what's really broken is us. And most of the world is confused about who or what can save the day when the dust settles. Many have no hope for the world at all. Some turn to empty religions or even irreligion based on dead men, statues made by men or animals owned by men. Some people believe our savior will be money, education, political freedom, or some other finite form that won't fix us or free us.
"No. It cannot be."
But thankfully, a Savior has already come to save and now we are patiently waiting for His return. The hope and truth that we as Christians so faithfully and joyfully holdfast to is this: Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and all other natural disasters; epidemics, famines, millions of kids dead because they dont have clean water; and all other tragedies, including homicide, suicide, genocide...they were all paid for and made right by The Righteous Regicide.
Regicide is the killing of a king. The Righteous Regicide was the killing of The King. The Regicide of Jesus Christ by His Father is the single greatest act of love. Ever. And yes, I did just say that the Father killed the Son. What did you think Genesis 22 was alluding to? Read Acts 2 if you don't believe me.
The "It" that kid was talking about is tragedy. Jesus' death and resurrection means that "No. It cannot be." will one day be "Yes. It is no more." I'm so thankful that when the dust of this real life tragedy settles, Jesus Christ will stand alone, supreme over all else, because he said, "It is finished."
The craziest thing about all of this is that when it's all said and done...we get Jesus. All of those tragedies disappearing for eternity is great, but better yet...we get Christ. Forever. If eternity is free of all tragedy and Jesus isn't there...I don't want it. I want Jesus. Show me where the King is and that's where I'm going, because He's there and I'm His.
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Thank you for the Cross my Friend.
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