I know it is old, but one of my favorite movies is the Lion King. And these guys are my favorite characters.
My wife and I first saw the Lion King when she was pregnant with our first child. It was in Mobile, Alabama at the discount theater in the Festival Center – which sadly no longer exists.
Anyway, the scene I love is the opening scene (I think it is the opening scene) where Scar is about to swallow a hapless mouse that he (amazingly) had caught.
I say amazing because he’s kinda slow and lazy.
Nonetheless, he’s caught a bite-sized vermin and is about to consume him (without seasoning!) when his brother, Mufasa, interrupts his snack and chastises him for not attending some gathering.
Scar retorts that his brother had made him miss his lunch – and the mouse escapes. But like I said, it looked more like a snack to me.
Another of my favorite scenes occurs at the end of the movie. It’s where Scar has been defeated by Simba and is tossed over a cliff and lands in the hyenas’ den – so to say (as obligatory fires rage around the area).
“Through hazy and battered eyes, Scar blurts, “Friends.”
The hyenas are having nothing of it as they remind Scar that a few minutes before, he had called THEM enemies by blaming all the troubles on THEM.
“F-F-Friends! Friends? I thought we were the enemy.”
And they eat him.
Justice served – hot!
Several months ago the nation was shocked one Sunday night to learn that one of our real life enemies had been taken out by an elite military squad.
For weeks on, we learned some of the details of how Osama Bin Laden died.
Many Christians were disturbed by (1) the joy of some and, (2) the lack of joy and celebration by others. Mike Huckabee even welcomed him to Hell on his TV show. Many Christians balked at this kind of jubilation of the demise of an enemy.
Others have – I think righty – said that the whole issue of our reaction to his death is complicated. We’re glad he is gone and can no longer do damage to anyone while on the other hand I don’ think that God is happy to have one more lost soul.
The whole concept of enemies is somewhat uncommon in American culture. Well, the use of “enemies” is uncommon. But in reality there are those that we war against: at school we war against other kids for popularity, grades, looks, more friends, etc.
At work we war for the best office space, pay, benefits, popularity, more friends, etc.
Although it is something we aren’t too interested in, Jesus had a lot to say about our enemies:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (NIV 2010)
There is a scene in Date Night (a most forgettable movie I must say). Except I like this silly scene. Steve Carell and Tina Fey are talking to the restaurant hostess about a cell phone:
Steve Carell: “We were in here earlier having dinner with our friend Sam.I.Am.”
The restaurant Hostess (Olivia Munn): “You mean Will.I.Am?”
Tina Fey: “Is that what you call him? That’s weird, I don’t like that.”
OK, my kids love this line. It’s somewhat funny and stupid. But whether Steve Carell (his character) calls the performer by the correct name or not, he is still Will.I.Am (or if you prefer, William James Adams, Jr.).
Whether we call them enemies or not (and Jesus said we’d have them), we still have people that we war against for mostly stupid reasons – sometimes legitimate. But most of all, we have enemies to do good to, to pray for, to bless, to clothe, and to love regardless of what we call them.
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