Love wins

My granddaughter is currently on a Frozen kick. We’ve watched it oh, about a billion times since I bought the DVD last week. It’s a pretty good Disney movie – love, bravery, humor, and catchy tunes. There are lots of good themes and teaching points, but the one that caught my attention might be easily overlooked.

The best line of the movie, in my opinion: “The heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded.” (Grandfather Troll)

Isn’t that the truth? The context of the quote (for those who haven't had the pleasure) is Anna’s injury due to Elsa’s power; the first injury is to her head, the second years later to her heart. The first is far more easily remedied than the second. We might think that the story is largely about saving Anna’s heart and Elsa learning to control her magic. We’d be wrong. It’s about saving Elsa’s heart, a heart frozen by fear. Fear of her inborn power, fear of others, and especially fear of hurting those she loves.

In the end, Elsa learns the one thing that allows her to control her powers and her fear, the one thing that can restore her to community and to her sister – love. Love is the only thing that truly conquers fear and changes a heart. That might be a cliche, but it's also truth.

Our heads are easily persuaded. We all know people who change their minds almost as often as their clothes. (Maybe we ARE that person!) That easy persuasion can be helpful, as sometimes our minds have to get on board before we can see even the need to change our hearts.

But it's the fear in our hearts that causes the most damage and keeps us from changing, isn't it? Fear causes us to isolate ourselves, to hide, to push others away. Fear freezes our hearts.

I have to applaud Disney for this movie, because in this case it's not mushy romantic love and the kiss of a handsome prince that saves the day. (Actually that fails miserably! And most of us are short on princes…) It’s Anna’s persistent love for her sister despite rejection and misunderstandings that changes both their hearts and saves the day.

A heart is not so easily changed, except by love. Love conquers fear. Love for ourselves, love for others.