Theatre Thoughts: The Lion King

​Children’s movies are almost never “just for kids” these days. And that’s a good thing, because if you’re a parent, you know that your kids not only want you to go see movies with them, they want you to love it! And with movies like Lion King, you truly can.

Lion King is an incredible, moving story of a son who lost his beloved father and is uprooted from his home in a political coup, only to return later on to face his past, his personal demons, and the new illegitimate king and become the leader he was always meant to become. Still sound like a silly kids’ movie? There’s lots to learn here, and we can start from the beginning, with an eager Simba who “just can’t wait to be king,” even though he has no idea what being king means. In other words, he wants power, respect, and responsibilities even though he has no idea what they really entail. When his father, Mufasa, is killed by his scheming uncle, Scar, he quickly learns that the life of a king is not one he wants. His uncle tricks him into running away from home for fear of being blamed for his father’s death and he seems to abandon his destiny. Fast forward some time, he’s made new friends far from home and has even fallen in love with Nala, a childhood friend. When he finally gathers the courage to come home, he struggles initially to have the strength to defeat Scar, but he finally overcomes and there is, of course, a happy ending.

So what can we learn from the movie, underneath the cute animation and catchy songs? Often, we’re unprepared for the destiny that we want, and we have to go through tough learning processes in order to get us ready for the greatness that’s in store. Our trials and tribulations can seem unfair or rushed, like we’re having our innocence taken away from us, but we easily forget how we ask for certain things and want them right away. Sometimes,God is makes us wait and puts us through these things so that He can give us what we ask for. And it’s not out of a cruel sense of humor, it’s because we really do all have destinies that require our best selves to fill the role. So don’t be discouraged if you feel like you’re far away from your destiny! There’s a process and tests you have to go through before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, so keep your head down and learn your lessons now so you can have what you want later on.