My five year old daughter's new favorite movie (this week) is the Heffalump Movie. She wacthes it every day. I mean, every day. A few days ago we snuggled in the Lazy Boy - and I watched it! The story is of a baby Heffalump who has escaped from Heffalump Hallow - located in the hundred acre wood. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Roo and Rabbit strike out to capture a Heffalump. Although they have never seen one - they are all scared of Heffalumps. They all have an idea of what one looks like. They are agree on one thing - they are to be feared!
Little Roo "captures" the baby Heffalump. They become the best of friends. Roo wants to take him to meet all his friends in the hundred acre wood. "Lumpy" doesn't want to go. That is the part of the hundred acre wood that Heffalumps avoid. After all, there are scary things that live there. Lumpy goes on to describe Rabbit, Tigger and Pooh - as scary creatures! "I can't go there, its too scary." Roo convinces him that it is "safe" to go with him.
In the end, they both discover the other to be friendly. They were scared for nothing. Because they met each other - fear gave way to friendship; knowldege won over suspicion.
Without realizing it, Disney has given us a great parable about us and those "other" churches. We all have an idea of what they "look" like. We don't go near their activities - we've been told to avoid them.
I just tell you from experience - I was happy that I left my neck of the theological woods to meet new friends. I hope you do as well.
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