The Crood Awakening

Psalm 27:1-6; John 8:12-19

 

 

Our family really loves making the time to bond and relax by watching family movies together.  Most all of these are computer animated.   Usually we wait until the ones that interest us are available to watch at home, though some really have been worth the big dollar outing to the big screen theater.   The Disney-Pixar Animation Studio has produced many of our favorites, but so too has Dreamworks Studios, whose principal partner is the always imaginative storyteller Stephen Spielberg.   They’re the folks behind such big hits as Shrek, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon.

            Earlier this year, Dreamworks released a movie called “The Croods.”   I confess I wasn’t all that interested in this one.   The title had much to do with this as it naturally led me to suspect the movie would offer up some crude or rude humor.   I’ve been disappointed plenty of times when modern day “family” flicks feature lots of comedically timed bodily noises, moderately colorful language that embarrasses kids into laughter and inappropriate innuendo that’s aimed at keeping adults engaged.   I’m delighted to say that despite my first impressions about the title, this animated gem didn’t depend on that sort of stuff at all.   

            I discovered this when I finally watched it with Stef and the kids at home last week (they’d all seen it and loved it when it was in the theaters).   And overall, I find this creative, compelling and very funny adventure story is worth noting from the pulpit this morning.   It inspirationally illustrates the power of family truly living in the light of hope instead of just surviving the darkness in our world.     

            If you are unfamiliar with it, the movie is set in prehistoric times, somewhere closer than today to when God commanded light into existence and called it “good.”  The writers and animators used some science and lots of creative imagination for each scene, every creature, and for the way they paired it all with modern day dialogue.  “Crood” is the surname for a Neanderthal family of six.  The baby’s name is Sandy and her teenaged sister, the main protagonist of the story, is called Eep.  They have a brother named Thunk.  Dad’s name is Grug, mom’s name is Ugga, and her mom’s name is Gran.   This family’s ultimately touching and heroic story evolves through the storylines use of lots of symbolic darkness and light.

            The kind but super-protective dad clearly communicates what darkness means.   Near the beginning of the movie, we see the sun starting to set.    That’s when he shouts “Darkness brings death, we know this” before commanding everyone to get to safety inside their family cave.   Once inside, he rolls a giant stone in place to keep predators out.  He then literally throws each loved on into a pile for an extra measure of security.   Grug knows fully well the dangerous realities of darkness.  He deals with this anxiety through a set daily routine and by isolating his family from discovering anything new.   Faithfulness to this cave mentality has kept his people safe.

            This dad has some trouble, however, getting his teen daughter Eep to obey his family safety protocols.  She hates the physical and mental confinement of the cave.   She refuses to just be thrown into the family pile.   She is instead very much her own person -- curious and adventurous and above all a lover of the daylight.  When the sun sets, she delays obeying dad by climbing as high as possible to keep the light in sight.  We see her eyes and outstretched hand highlighted, which to me symbolize her desire to live with greater vision and to have a firmer grasp of her future.   She also speaks to the light in a pleading voice, expressing her strong hope that it will comes back again the next day. 

            One night, a predator manages to move dad’s big protective stone away just a crack.   It happens to be the night that a more highly evolved human being is moving about nearby the Crood cave.  Eep doesn’t see this stranger through the tiny opening, but does see the movement of his torch light.   Compelled by curiosity and utterly drawn to the new, compelling light, she finds a way to escape from the cave undetected. 

            That’s when the great adventure out of confining darkness really begins.   She catches up to the stranger, a fellow human who is simply called “Guy.”  And wouldn’t you know it?  He happens to be a teen boy who fascinates her – but not just because she finds him cute.  He too loves living with and by the light.   Being more highly evolved, he freely shares his knowledge of how to fully live beyond the security of the cave.  He teaches her how to make fire for illumination and protection.   He introduces her too all sorts of new, highly adaptive ideas.  He tells her stories about overcoming darkness, stories that fill her with hope.   In general, Guy helps enlighten Eep.    She begins to see the world in ways far beyond that of her dad’s safe but restrictive interpretations.  She’s seeks bright new horizons and experiences abundant life in the beauty and diversity of the creation around her.  

            There is a whole lot more, of course, to this story of the Crood awakening.   The good news is that through family adventures in the light, the extremely anxious and overprotective dad eventually does come to trust the vibrant newness and opportunity of life beyond his cave dwelling instincts.  Living becomes about more than just surviving from one period of darkness to the next and relying on his strict adherence to tradition.  And best of all, he finds true security through strengthened, loving family bonds.

            Now, The Croods is not a Christian movie.  Yet as I reflected on its powerfully symbolic and emotionally moving contrasts between living in the dark and living in the light as individuals and as family, I sure did think about how Jesus invites us to live.   Hear again the words of our Lord -- “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”   

            One key to understanding what it means to live by “the light of life” that is Jesus Christ is to realize that John 8:12 is located within a specific conversation, following a specific real life event.   Jesus had been in conversation with a group of religious authorities, the Pharisees.  This group closely guarded their way of life, finding security through strict observance of the Jewish rituals and the written Law of their tradition.   As such, they had a rather overprotective, isolating way of dealing with sin and the darkness in the world it causes.    This didn’t make them bad people, but it did tend to make them more than a bit blind when the divine Light of salvation they had been waiting for fully entered the world.   Most all weren’t able to accept that Jesus was declaring Himself to be this Light.  They sealed themselves off and felt threatened by his teaching with greater authority concerning all that it means to really be alive, fully engaged and truly secure in this big wide world. 

            I don’t wish to draw the symbolic parallel too sharply, but Jesus consistently called the Pharisees out of their time-honored cave mentality.  He challenged them to step out and see brighter, broader horizons of holy hope … to find faith and freedom in new ways of caring for one another and all of creation through radically inclusive, selfless love and forgiveness.  Right before our reading this morning, John’s Gospel gives the perfect example of this as the Pharisees attempted to condemn a woman to death by stoning for breaking their spiritual safety protocols.        

            “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  

            This means living faithfully by letting our Lord guide us through and invite us to further engagement with any darkness that makes us feel fearful and anxious in this world.  

            It means instead of allowing ourselves to have a close-minded, self-righteous mind, we welcome new revelations and offer new hope to all God’s people.  

            It means having even more honest, mutual relationships with our loved ones as well as letting others enlighten us.  

            It means keeping our minds illuminated and guided by the Word, the Light of the World, as we strive to care for one another and all creation.  

            It means when we experience the onset of any darkness, we faithfully ascend to be closer to the Light of life through prayer and worship and fellowship and service.

            It means deeply trusting that the Light of Christ comes to us with the dawn of each new day.

            And, I do believe it means not being afraid to have a Crood awakening every now and again.   Amen.