Coram Deo

Even though she’s an outcast, Belle doesn’t really care about what other people think. She is described as “odd” and “peculiar” but acknowledged as “the prettiest girl in town.” Belle is bright, caring, modest and kind. That’s incredibly refreshing and real especially since she seems oblivious to her beauty. The townspeople think that she wastes her beauty since it contrasts with the other “normal girls” who throw themselves at Gaston. Ironically, they seem to respect her at the same time.  Somehow the audience is captivated by Belle’s innocence and pureness of heart. Although Gaston is handsome, she sees right through his heart.

This reminds me of our walk with Christ. It’s hard being an outcast and having this social stigma about being a Christian. To be told by others to live up your youth and dress more provocatively because you need to have fun while you’re young. Yet at the same time, people do notice you because you’re a light. You’re not like everyone else. Even though they may talk and see you as different, they’re attracted to the Christ in you. 

Even though Belle and the Beast are like night and day, they complement each other so well. It reminds me of the body of Christ. Although all of us are different, we all complement each other because we’re all sinners, need grace, and love Jesus.

Being locked up in the castle was the worst thing that ever happened to Belle at that time. She lost her father and her freedom. She threw her hopes, dreams, and future out of the window. She left her home to be a prisoner in a stranger’s castle. This brings me back to Romans 8:28 where “all things work together for our good.” We can’t see it now and it might seem like the worst thing that has ever happened. In the end, it is the best thing that’s ever happened. Later on, the audience finds out that this was for the best since she married a prince, found true love, lives in a castle, and has her “happy ending.”  She changed the Beast and touched all the lives in the castle. All of them became better people because of her loving example. They saw how she could have the patience & steadfastness to put up with the Beast, sacrifice her life for her father, and genuinely care about the well being of household objects in the castle. Being a recipient of kindness, he becomes a giver of kindness. “Treat people as if they were what they should be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.”

The breaking point was when the Beast realizes that he loves her so much that he’s willing to let her go take care of her father even though he knows that he will remain in his hideous form. That’s sacrifice. It was something that he was never able to do if he was a human prince. For once in his life, he cared about someone other than himself. He traded it in for something better. Because forcing Belle to stay with him was not the same as Belle coming back on her own for him. When he met Belle, he had a change of heart. It’s kind of like how when we meet Jesus, we change and become more like him with our new regenerated hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26)

I wish more movies were like this. [ I’m a sucker for Disney movies anyways haha]There are applaudable virtues of hope, love, patience, kindness, and sacrifice. The heroine is a bright classy woman who stays with her values and is willing to sacrifice her own well being for her father and is willing to look past a person’s appearance. Nowadays, the secular media is applauding the complete opposite girl. It’s sad but no surprise to see how the media is degrading people. Along with it, they’re losing timeless virtues. 

- Nothing with too much theological depth haha but I had fun writing this and connecting biblical themes/parallels with my favorite Disney movie :)