The other day our family rented what I must say was one of the best movies I've seen in quite some time. "Finding Neverland" is the story of JM Barrie, the imaginative genius behind the story of "Peter Pan." Seeing the film brought back a fond childhood memory; in fact one of my earliest Pittsburgh memories (our family moved to Pittsburgh when I was 10 years old). My parents took me and my younger brother to a local production of "Peter Pan" and I was particular amazed and captivated by Peter's ability to fly across the stage of Baldwin High School (sorry for the aside). "Finding Neverland" goes far beyond a children's story - it is a film about wonder, hope, and imagination, themes that all of us should revisit on a regular basis.
Jesus came to announce and enact the kingdom of God. He invited people to enter into it and experience a whole new dimension of life. In his invitations, Jesus used many images to help people understand what God's kingdom was all about - one of the most powerful is found in Matthew 18:
Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 18:2-4)
Why did Jesus liken the kingdom to a child? Because children have a tendency to live more naturally as people of wonder, hope, and imagination.
In what way is Neverland similar to the kingdom of God? It has to be believed to be seen. I love what Darrel Manson had to say about Neverland and the kingdom (http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/comments/darrel/2004/11/finding-neverland.html)
"But Neverland is more than an issue of imagination versus reality: it is also a matter of belief. One does not merely imagine Neverland. Neverland requires belief not so much an intellectual assent as a complete emotional acceptance. When we allow ourselves to believe in such a place as Neverland (or perhaps the Kingdom of God), we open the door to a reality that is beyond us. To find such a new reality is among the greatest gifts of childlikeness and is a blessing that only an adult can truly appreciate."
Check out "Finding Neverland." Watch it with the eyes, ears and imagination of a child. While it's not the Gospel, you just might find your thoughts turned toward the kingdom of heaven.
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