The Heart of Moana
This is not the first time God spoke to me through a Disney movie. When I was 12, I ran out of the theater when I felt the Lord speaking directly to my heart through Rafiki in The Lion King. (I’ll write a blog on that another time.) Needless to say; I was not expecting to be a weepy mess the first time I saw Moana. I was not expecting to see a full picture of the Gospel or the rescue of a hurting heart in such a drastic way. But there I sat at the end, tears streaming down my face, my son looking at me like I was crazy, as Jesus’s love washed over me again and again, like the waves I had just seen in this incredible movie.
Moana is about a young girl from an island that is dying. She was chosen by the ocean to go and find Maui, a demi god, and help him restore the heart of Tafiti, the mother island who could save her island and her people. Not a ton in that description that lines up with the picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But this movie has depth, and heart, and shows us that we all need someone to look at us and speak this vital truth: “I see you. I know who you are. And what you are doing or what you are going through does not define you.” And we need a dramatic heart rescue. This is what Moana delivers.
(Spoilers ahead. If you have not seen Moana or do not want the big ending ruined, stop reading now!)
As Moana and Maui travel across the ocean to get to Tafiti, of course, in true Disney fashion, they meet some hilarious obstacles. And they are a great pair to watch. There are also some really touching moments. One in particular was when Moana realizes that the call to rescue was not just the ocean’s choice. The call is inside her as well. How many of us can relate to that? The Lord has put a call on our lives, our true destiny that is called forth by Him, but is hidden deep inside our hearts until He reveals it to us.
As they get closer to Tafiti, they must battle Te Kā, a raging fire, volcano monster that the audience is led to believe is protecting Tafiti and will destroy anyone trying to get close to her. But as Moana moves closer, and Maui battles Te Kā so that Moana can take the heart back to Tafiti, she realizes that Tafiti is not there. In a beautiful reveal, we realize that Te Kā IS Tafiti, acting out of rage, brokenness and fear, because her heart has been stolen from inside her. And this is where I completely fell apart.
What comes next is absolutely stunning. The water parts for Moana and she begins walking toward Tafiti, telling her that she has crossed the horizon to find her. That she knows her name. That she knows they have stolen the heart from inside her. That these raging actions do NOT define her.
Moana reminds her of who she truly is before restoring her heart, and then we see Tafiti rescued. She blooms. She comes back to life. She is healed.
Guys, that is the Gospel. Tafiti represents us all. We are all wounded and broken by this world and the broken people in it. Some more than others. Many times we react in rage and anger because of hurts that we have endured living in this broken world. Our heart has been stolen from inside us. But, oh the rescue that is waiting for us. There is only one who can look at us and say: “I know who you truly are. This sin or situation does not define you. That is not who you truly are. I know who you truly are.”
And when we yield to Jesus and say Yes to Him, we will come back to life. Or if you’ve never said Yes to Him before, you will come to life for the first time. And there will be fruit. And there will be healing. And there is ABUNDANCE OF LIFE for your hurting, weary heart.
This is the heart of Moana. A radical rescue of a hurting one. Jesus is waiting. He wants to heal you. He wants to restore you. He wants to be close to you. The actions that you see come out of you that do not look like Him, do NOT define you. That is not who you truly are. He just needs to speak some truth to that part of your heart and put some healing salve on the deep wounds that cause us to react in dysfunction.
He came to earth and died just for your heart’s great rescue back to the Father. Will you let Him in? I can promise you that He is good. He is truly the heart healer.
And Moana painted that picture for me beautifully.