Spiritual Lessons from the Lion King

As with all analogies, this one one is likely to have its flaws at times, but here are a few lessons that occurred to me this week. Do not ask how it came about, because I really do not know. Maybe it was reading about Daniel in the lions' den. Maybe it was listening to my children sing "Roaring like a Lion".

As with so many things in things in the Word, an item can have both a good and bad connotation. Secrets, for example from my study on Sacred Secrets, can be either bad, as most of us probably initially think, or good, as the Word uses it in the Gospels. The Lion is a symbol of the Holy One. However, our adversary, "the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I picture a Moustapha persona for the Holy One, and a Scar persona for the adversary.

First lesson or illustration was Moustapha standing atop Pride Rock and all the animals bowing as the heir is presented. It brings to mind Jesus' birth. Every people, nation, tribe, and tongue were represented in the range from shepherds to wise men who came to worship the Messiah.

Second, Jesus was not going around singing, "I can't wait to be King," but he did have a firm grasp on whom he was to serve, even at the age of twelve when he was about the work of the Father.

Third, I love the illustration of the hyenas saying the name Moustapha. They hear it and shudder. They know the power that is in the name, just like the demons who serve the adversary know the power in the Holy Name, for there is only own name by which man may be saved.

Fourth, the adversary's tactics are similar to that of Scar. Scar made Simba think he was guilty and drove him out of the pride. While the adversary was not as successful in taking out Jesus, he did try to bring Jesus down. Nonetheless, the adversary is very proficient at using this tactic on the people of God. He makes them feel guilty and it drives them out of the fellowship, where he "devours" them.

Fifth, "Hakuna Matata" does not really work because we know we will have trouble in this world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. However, we are told to cast all our anxieties on The Lord. We are reminded in Matthew 6 that The Lord cares more for us than the sparrows who toil not and yet eat. So it is not that there is nothing in our world that could cause us to worry, but we choose to trust Him rather than worry.

Sixth, I actually do believe that stars are big balls of gas, rather then the kings of the past guiding us. The illustration though brings to mind Hebrews 12:1 in which we are admonished to lay aside every encumbrance and run with endurance the race set before us since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, those who have been called faithful in the sight of The Lord. We can take heart in our daily struggle to be faithful as we remember others who persevered in their faith.

Finally, once again the King takes His rightful place and all kneel before the King. This imagery is a shadow of the day that all heaven and earth will give glory and honor for all eternity to the King who is high and lifted up.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Feeling the Love

I realized as I sat here with my family this evening how little I expressed their love and encouragement in the midst of all of this, particularly regarding the losing of my hair. A four year old's honesty also comes with the compliments of my head wraps or my hair piece. William cuddled up next to me last week during family movie night and told me how much he loved me, hair or no hair. Mariama compliments whatever I have on my head. With my children, I almost always have my head covered. I can name on one hand the people outside of my immediate family who have seen me without my hair.

However, my best friend and love of my life has seen me many times without anything covering my head and loves me tenderly. He likes the head wraps as it reminds him of Senegal. He likes the sassy attitude the prosthesis gives. In the evenings with the kids in bed, when it is not too cold, he sees my head uncovered and caresses me. He tells me daily how beautiful I am, make that multiple times a day.

We joke that it is because of our 80's influence, be it Sinead O'Connor or Demi Moore from G.I. Jane or Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics. He jokes how unfair it is that I can still look better than him, even bald.

Nonetheless, he is near and dear and walking through this with me hand in hand. I could not be more grateful for the man that God placed in my life. I love you, Rich Finch!