I flew toward a sunrise early the other morning on a small plane from Sitka to Kake. A deep red streak spread across the horizon, then softened and widened into a ball of light at the start of a new day. Without that rising sun, we would perpetually live in darkness, or not live at all.
When Christ came 2000 years ago, He said “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12-58)
I see a symbolic relationship between the children’s animated cartoon, The Croods, and the Advent of Christ, a modern parable perhaps.
The video is about a family of cave people who live in a constant mode of fear. They venture out of their cave, under perilous conditions, to gather food and return as quickly as possible to safety.
The overprotective (deeply caring) father insists that anything new is bad. Curiosity is bad. Going out at night is bad. The most important lesson is to “never… not… be…afraid”. His daughter asks “What’s the point of all of this? Why are we here?” and concludes, “This is not living…it’s just not….dying….”
When a natural disaster occurs, the cave is destroyed, and the family is forced to embark on a hazardous journey that leads them to discover a whole new world. They learn that with every sun comes a new beginning. A promise that things will be better today than they were yesterday. They come to understand the wisdom of, “Don’t hide. Live. Follow the Sun. You’ll make it to tomorrow.”
To return to our theme: yesterday, today and forever, Christ has said to us, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Kay Larson,
From the Bahá’ís of Wrangell
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