Beauty and the Beast

If Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie, my favorite character (heroine) is by far Belle from Beauty and the Beast, who is best described as "for all intents and purposes, an Anti-Disney Feminist".

But that being placed aside, here is Belle at the beginning of the movie going off to rescue her father and exchanging her captivity for his. I've found myself returning to this scene several times over the past couple of days. Would I ever really give away my freedom for someone else's? Would I give up all I have for just anyone on the street? Like going to prison in place of a criminal? Would I do that?

Belle made this huge sacrifice which she didn't think about. She just did it. It was knee-jerk in her nature. How often to we make decisions because they are part of us? Do we ever doubt our sacrifices, like Belle did, when we think about them? This is why we need to have the character of Christ and not ask 'What Would Jesus Do?'. Character isn't always rational but questions demands thought out, logical responses. Sometimes we are called to do the illogical and not turn back.

One of the theme songs to the movie is "Be Our Guest". I really like the line “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving” Are we un-nerved when as Christians we are not turely and totally serving others? Shouldn't we be? And along with that what does it mean to serve someone? Isn't that the ultimate question about what it means to follow Jesus?

Finally (really there was more but I don't know what my notes mean right now) there was a piece of conversation right when the Beast released Belle from the castle:
“I had to let her Go” - Beast
“Why?” - Cogsworth
“I loved her” - Beast
How much is this like God letting us go by giving us free will and crying for us to come back to him? I think it breaks God's heart when we turn away from us, but he had to allow us to be free so our love wasn't bought. Can you imagine the sacrifice?