Journey to Bethlehem
If anyone is looking for a new musical movie that contains a profound message around the Christ child with some creative character development, humor, light heartedness and yet does not conflict with scripture, Journey to Bethlehem may be what you seek.
The famous story includes unique perspectives from the Magi, King Herod and his son, Antipator. The intensity of King Herod is softened by the humor of those 3 wise men. Antipator is torn between following his father as king or following his own calling.
Perhaps my favorite scene was the musical number where Antipater was watching his younger self develop the anger and rage that would be needed to follow in his father’s footsteps. At the end of the wrestling dance, Antipator and his younger self reconnect, as if to say… we are rejoining our souls, you are coming with me, I’m choosing you over my father. Let’s do this.
I believe every single one of us faces this in our lives. We get to a place where we have a choice. We can embrace the reason for our existence and recognize that we may have lost that purpose in our youth. We left our true self behind because the world became something we needed to fit into rather than a place we belong. We hit a place in our life where we realize that there must be more. Sometimes this can be called a rock bottom moment, when everything feels out of control and there is nowhere to turn. We then have a choice. Some people chose to quit. Others move forward with their own plans and never move out of the darkness. Others let go of their own plans and submit to the will of God.
For those who chose to turn to God, and invite Him into our life, a new way of thinking will begin. The younger self deserves to be invited back into our souls. That younger self will need love, mercy and grace. The healing process of accepting that lonely, hurt, self will take time. He/she has been hidden for a long time in shame, blame, or guilt.
Some who never choose to heal their past will remain lost. Life will be hard and bitterness can settle in, leaving the person with an attitude that life isn’t fair. They weren’t given favor. They weren’t worthy of blessing. Truth is they had opportunities to change the direction of their suffering. They chose the path of greater pain, a road that was separate from God. They chose to go it alone.
Our lives will never reach fulfillment until we accept our personal history. We are told to love our neighbor as ourself. That’s not possible if we don’t go back and grab our younger self. We left them behind. We must invite them back into the conversation to heal and be appreciated and feel loved.
We cannot love others if we are not loving ourselves, that includes our sin and our wounds. We cannot honor who God made us to be if we have left the shameful parts or any parts behind.
The Journey to Bethlehem included profound messages of a journey to identity, a journey to find ourselves, and a journey to freedom.
When Antipator discovers the baby in the stable, he is a frightening presence. One that disrupts the Silent night that has been presented in nativity scenes of the past. Mary boldly (I did love her feisty strong character that included her frustrations over disrupted dreams and a husband who was chosen for her) tells Antipator,
you are not your father.
In that reminder, Antipator goes against his father’s orders. With the king’s soldiers witnessing his rebellion, he courageously and unpredictably delivers the warning for Joseph and Mary to leave Nazareth, allowing the King of the world to live.
At the end of his earthly live, Jesus proved that He came to save us. He paid the price in full on the cross.
What is getting in the way of our belief and our trust? Maybe the answer lies in our true self? If we go back and get him/her, we just might find ourselves evolving into the purpose of our existence. Maybe then we can wholeheartedly believe and accept that sweet baby, born in a manger, named Jesus! Unpacking the depth of the event and digging deeper into the true meaning, will increase our understanding as to how incredible our God is!
The King, the Counselor, the Way, the Truth, and the Life brought into this crazy world as an innocent baby!
The voice in my head says, “what was God thinking?”
He’s God and I’m definitely not!
God has great faith in us! He sent his Son to lead us through example and now He’s asking us to follow his lead through love, mercy, and grace!
Awe!
Stay Blessed ya’all!