Sermon for January 15th, 2017
Contents
Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Joshua 1:1-2, 9
1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2“My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 9I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ephesians 6:12-17
12For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Faith & Film V: Kubo and the Two Strings
Three Minute Film Summary
Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop-motion animated film by Laika studios, which is known for making children's films that are somewhat dark in tone, and don't shy away from difficult topics, like death and tragedy, but which also contain a lot of deep spiritual imagery and subtext.
The hero of this story is Kubo, a young boy living in a magical version of ancient Japan. When Kubo was just an infant, his grandfather (the evil and God-like Moon King) stole one of his eyes and killed his father, the legendary samurai warrior, Hanzo. At the opening of the story, Kubo lives in a cave taking care of his mother (who suffers bouts of memory loss) and earning money in the local village by telling stories, playing his enchanted shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument) and by practicing his own enchanted version of another traditional Japanese art, Origami (folding paper).
The action begins when Kubo's aunts (evil, witch-like spirits) come on behalf of his grandfather to take his other eye. Kubo escapes, but loses his mother in the process. Kubo then embarks upon a quest to find his father's enchanted armor, the only thing that can protect him from his grandfather. He is joined on this quest by a demanding, but protective monkey, and by a giant insect-like samurai beetle. Piece by piece, they recover the armor, as Kubo's own magic grows stronger. Along the way, he bonds with Monkey and Beetle, and eventually learns that they are none other than his own mother and father in enchanted form. Ultimately, Kubo returns to his village and with his newfound confidence in his abilities and in his family identity, and defeats his grandfather the Moon King in battle, saving the villagers, who embrace him as his larger, adopted family.
A Hodgepodge of Biblical Parallels
The story of Kubo has its roots more in eastern mysticism and Buddhism than in Christianity, but there are some pretty strong biblical parallels interspersed throughout the film. I don't think these parallels are necessarily intentional on the part of the script writers, but they are certainly worth noting and recognizing.
Kubo's story is a variation on the story of Jonah in the Old Testament. In the Bible, the prophet Jonah runs away from God, crosses a stormy ocean in a boat, shelters in the belly of a whale, where he ultimately accepts his destiny and goes to the people God has sent him to, proclaiming a message of hope and reconciliation.
Kubo, on the other hand, runs away from his god-like grandfather, and on his first night shelters inside the belly of a whale. Then he crosses a stormy ocean in a ship, and eventually accepts his destiny and returns to the people of his village, proclaiming a message of hope and reconciliation (more on that later).
Kubo's story is also reminiscent of that of Joshua, the young warrior who was chosen to lead the forces of Israel after the loss of his mentor and father-figure, Moses. Joshua had to summon great courage and inner-strength in order to defeat giants and other larger-than-life inhabitants of the promised land.
Kubo's fight is not against flesh and blood enemies, but against spiritual forces. Against them, he is commanded to find and put on the "breastplate impenetrable," the "helmet invulnerable" and the "sword unbreakable." Of course, this should remind any Christian of Ephesians 6, where the Apostle Paul tells us that against spiritual forces we should put on the "helmet of salvation, the "breastplate of righteousness" and the "sword of the spirit."
But then watch in the following clip from the film's final battle scene between little Kubo and his evil grandfather (who has taken the form of a giant dragon) where Kubo realizes that a samurai's armor just isn't his thing...and he takes it off in favor of a more "humble" weapon...
- Film Clip #2
