We just spent a week away from home on a fantastic adventure. A friend kindly gave my family the gift of a time share in Orlando, Florida. The home of you know where and that Mickey Mouse who started it all. A gracious present by any standard. Let me state in unambiguous terms that God has not, in the main, given me the best of easy providence in the arena of vacations. Traditionally, select members of the church I serve wonder what exactly will go wrong while I am away.
Besides the detour of the departing flight the trip went well. Walt Disney was, by any estimation, a creative genius. To borrow a quote from Don King–urban philosopher extraordinaire–only in America could a place as fantastic (in the technical sense of the term) as Disney be conceived much less achieved. The place is a marvelous adventure and grand fun. We had an absolute blast; an amazing, fun and memory packed week. A trip that none of us will ever forget.
Now, as a pastor my cultural and theological antennae are forever in operation. So were my son’s. Early in the week he refused the family entry to the Haunted Mansion because he deemed it “disturbing”. We weren’t going anywhere near the place–but I wasn’t going to burst his bubble and curtail his emerging semiotic sensibilities. Hey, I’ve got a lil’ Johnny Calvin on my hands!
The final day we watched a gala celebration wherein favorite characters put on a drama. The theme of the play was basically this: if we all get together and think really hard and dream really big then not only will everything turn out for the best, but ALL our dreams shall come true.
My son intuitively knew these sentiments were askew. He grabbed my arm and pulled me downward for a private conference. Bear in mind, we’d been at The Magic Kingdom for nearly ten hours and it was hazy, hot and humid. He said: “Dad, that’s a lie. Only God can make dreams come true and He doesn’t promise us everything will be okay until the New Heavens and the New Earth.”
Suddenly, I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs for joy. I cannot describe the elation I felt that my 11 year old boy was acting like a Blue Chipper. He knows that while Disney is a great vacation destination it is not his home.