By Luke Secaur | Echo
Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr user wsh1266.
"In a couple of days, everything will be just the way it was. They'll see . . . they'll see. I'm still Andy's favorite toy." In this scene from Disney Pixar's "Toy Story," Woody assures himself that the toy with more gadgets than a Swiss Army Knife has no chance of taking his place as the one with the power in Andy's room. For years, the Christian Church felt the same way about non-Christians. How dare they question God's authority in their lives? Shouldn't "God says so" be enough for these people?
Amazingly, "Toy Story" provides us with a very practical model for dealing with those outside the Church. Just like the Church at the height of its influence, Woody of "Toy Story" was quickly able to quash any potential opposition to his power. The world worked the way it did because he said so. Andy chose him, after all!
But then Buzz shows up. Buzz doesn't buy into being a toy. And the other toys love him.
Woody has no idea how to combat the way his fellow playthings adore Buzz. Mr. Potato Head starts asking "why" to Woody's executive decisions. Woody grows jealous and resentful, mocking Buzz's belief that he is a space ranger. All Woody wants is for things to go back to the way they were when he was in control.
Of course, Buzz isn't really a Space Ranger; we as the audience know that. So if the solution isn't to accept Buzz's position as a member of the Galactic Alliance, what is it? At this point in the film, Woody can only say "because I say so." Buzz isn't convinced.
Later, Woody and Buzz find themselves trapped in Sid's room surrounded by "cannibal" toys. These toys belong to Sid! They must be as evil as he is, right? Upon first meeting the deformed figures, Woody has no desire to get to know them. His only focus is on escaping his captor, Sid.
When these behaviors manifest themselves in the Church, one can imagine how repulsive they might be to outsiders. Outsiders are looking for God's grace, not for Christians trying to prove their own righteousness. All too often, we're unwilling to look beyond non-believer's sinful behavior at the people underneath. When we hear about someone whose lifestyle differs from ours, we quickly answer "repent!" But it's seldom that easy for anyone trapped in sin.
"But they're wrong!" we say. "I've got the verses to prove it! I won't rest until I've made them see how wrong their lifestyle is. Then I will know I'm right about how I live."
If our faith is all about pointing out the sin in others, about asserting our own power and value, what does that say about our confidence in God's saving grace? We can't be surprised if outsiders find that faith unattractive.
Late in the movie, Buzz is strapped to a rocket, and Woody is trapped under a plastic crate. When both are defeated, a dynamic appears between the two characters that had yet to surface. Humility.
"I'm the one who should be strapped to that rocket," says Woody. Isn't it true though? Don't we deserve to be doomed to the same fate as the worst of sinners?
Yes.
But then why does Andy love his toys? Woody, having learned his lesson, tells Buzz, "It's not because you're a space ranger, pal. It's because you're a toy. You are his toy." In Titus 3:5, Paul puts it another way, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
When we look at it this way, demonstrating humility in the way we treat those outside the Church becomes a lot easier. Conversing with non-Christians becomes less about asserting our own value and more about showing them the value Christ freely offers. And to Christ, we can say, "You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful."
