October 2015
My wife and I recently took our kids to see the latest Disney/Pixar production “Inside Out.” The animated film had received some great critical reviews, and since their other classic films such as Toy Story, Cars, and Finding Nemo have been family favorites for years, we all settled into our theater seats with high expectations for their latest offering.
The imaginative story illustrates the way that our complex minds and personalities process our own experiences, and looks at how those experiences shape us. The film’s lead character is a preteen girl named Riley. Through the magical lens of Pixar, we are able to see inside her mind as a collection of emotions including joy, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust battle for the right to influence her response to circumstances and experiences. As the story begins and we are given an orientation tour around Riley’s mind, we are shown various “islands” in Riley’s mind which make up the key parts of her personality. These islands include Friendship Island, Family Island, Hockey Island, and even Goofball Island. The idea is that these core components of her personality are created and cultivated through her life experiences.
The movie wasn’t a huge hit with my kids, but I was thoroughly impressed by the creative interpretation of the way that the human mind works. I can relate to the concept of Islands of Personality. Like Riley, I would probably have a Family Island and a Friendship Island. Like most adults, I would also have a Career Island. There would also likely be islands for my hobbies, such as Baseball Island.
And although Pixar’s depiction of the human mind was ingenious and thought-provoking, it left me wondering where the spiritual component of our being fits into this picture. Would there in fact be “God Island” or “Church Island” or “Jesus Island?” As a person who tends to view life compartmentally anyway, this does seem somewhat logical. But another part of me isn’t so sure…
As I mused about the layout of my own mind, and I considered the compartments of my life and the islands of my own personality, I sensed that there was something more to the story. “Where are You in all of this?” I asked. And then, it hit me like a hurricane. I sensed God saying, “I’m not meant to be just one compartment of your life, or simply an island of your personality. If your life is full of islands…I want to be the ocean. I want to be the substance that fills every part of your life. Just as the ocean fills enormous space and touches each island, I want to touch every part of your life – every island of your personality.”
I’ve been challenged by this revelation. Maybe I’ve put God in a box all too often. Maybe I’ve compartmentalized Him in my life. Maybe I’ve viewed Him as just another island: important, yet still independent and disconnected from the other pieces of my life. I want to experience a life where He is the ocean that fills my soul and touches, shapes, and refreshes every piece – every “island” of my life.
for underdogs & kings... 