Truth from The Lion King (1994)

Apart from being one of my all-time favourite movies (maybe because it's the first movie I ever remember watching) and apart from being an award-winning film, The Lion King embodies some very solid truths about life.

While following the adventures and times of Simba the lion through childhood (cubhood) to adolescence to adulthood, this animated film tackles massive subjects such as sense of moral direction, identity, the role of truth in our lives and legacy – pretty good stuff. Maybe that's why somehow this isn't the first time I'm referring back to my most watched childhood film for wisdom in difficult life situations, like I'm sure many 90's kids do in some way.

Simba starts out as a young cub eager to explore life and become king, but soon finds out that character has a lot to do with responsibility when he goes to an elephant graveyard where he's been forbidden to go by his father. His father reprimands him and teaches him about legacy and the the bigger picture of life within the african “ubuntu” concept – we are all connected in one big circle of life. One person can never stand on his or her own. That's why you need to respect those around you, because they are part of you.

The villainous Scar, younger brother of Mufasa, feeds Simba lies with the intent on killing him and his father so he can have the right to the throne. Scar's evil plan succeeds and after experiencing the trauma of his father's death, Simba is tricked to believe that he is the cause of what happened and runs away. After meeting Timon and Pumba, the two unlikely heroes and later best friends, Simba settles into a life that's as far removed from his true identity as possible. The reason for “forgetting his past” and subsequently his true identity is the fact that he believes the lies that he has been told. The withholding of the truth causes him to remain enslaved in his way of thinking, until his father speaks to him in a vision in that is problably the most important scene in the movie.

Mufasa's words reflect some deep spiritual meaning when he reminds his son of his true identity: Remember who you are, you are my son, and the one true king. “You are my son.” What powerful words to establish an identity. You are the sum of all that I am and more. Your destiny is intertwined with mine in this circle of life. This phrase won't be as powerful to all of us if spoken by our own fathers. Maybe your father isn't exactly the guy you want to be someday. Maybe your father couldn't care less about your destiny. These words have an altogether different meaning for me personally. When I hear them, I hear them through the voice of my heavenly father. It reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made so that I could be part of his kingdom as a joint heir and a son of the living God. Now these words have eternal meaning, and is a force of identity for me.

The latter part of this scene also contains some vital wisdom of life. Rafiki the witchdoctor baboon talks to Simba after he has just had this encounter and jokes about it being a weather phenomenon. Simba talks about his fear of facing his past, and Rafiki demonstrates rather physically that the past can hurt... but you can either run from it, or learn from it. This lesson ties in with the importance of not letting what happened in your past define you.

Simba at last returns to his pride after this encounter with his “heavenly” father. He is determined to live out his true identity. Upon his arrival at the chaotic pridelands which Scar has all but run to the ground, Simba demands Scar to step down. Scar, clearly taken aback by Simba's return, once again feeds Simba the lie that has kept him from the truth for so long. “If it weren't for you Mufasa would still be alive it's your fault his dead, do you deny it? No. Then you're guilty!” Scar and his hyenas back Simba up to the cliff while still proclaiming the lie that Simba is the murderer of Mufasa. He keeps on retreating – almost symbolic to the way the lie is disempowering him – until he is hanging from the cliff. Scar is already savouring his victory but cannot resist telling Simba the truth just before he dies, this was Scar's biggest mistake.

 The scene climactically shows Simba's eyes as he hears the truth: I killed Mufasa A flashback shows the young Simba and the events that led to his identity today. The truth impacts his whole being as it sets him free and suddenly he finds a strength that overpowers Scar as he leaps back from hanging on the cliff face. The truth sets free and the truth has enabled Simba to truly walk in his identity and operate in the power thereof.
 

The reason I'm writing this post is because I recently had an experience like that, where the truth was revealed after a long period of suppression and suddenly I felt empowered to live the life I'm supposed to be living. It was interesting to me that somehow I remembered this scene from the movie, to which I previously didn't attach so much value (even though it made an impact because of its dramatic nature). But having experienced a similar event than Simba, who got his power and identity back as a result of the truth being told, suddenly this scene brought me to tears. I watched this movie over and over as a kid and some of the truths in it are still with me and still being revealed to me, now that's powerful.

Although Hakuna Matata is a great phrase, I think The truth will set you free (John 8:32) is a better one for today. Peace