Willy Wonka and the Kingdom of Heaven…
Over the break, I got the chance to go see the new Wonka movie. This week, our eighth graders got the chance to go see this same movie. If you aren’t familiar with the franchise of Willy Wonka books and movies, they are about an eccentric candy maker who lives in a fantastical world of candy creations. The latest movie is about the origin of this candy maker, where we get insight into how Willy Wonka became who he is. It is a beautiful story about how a boy with no family, no money, nothing but a dream, came to help change the world with his candy.
Dreams are the seeds that amazing things come from. Behind every great invention, accomplishment, and business was a dream that someone had. I think everyone is born with the ability for these types of dreams. Unfortunately, life happens, and slowly, dreams and our ability to dream can be sucked away from us. It is a skill that we have to consistently practice, that we have to take time out for.
The dream that Love City is aiming to fulfill is an ancient one. You might recognize it from the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. That is the dream we hope to make reality in our community, and that we want to inspire others to seek. Some think that it is a fantasy world that can only be reached after our earthly lives end. Others think that there will come a cataclysmic day where good people are saved and bad people die and end up being tortured for all of eternity. I truly believe it is a slow transformation, towards what God created the world for. A transformation that will happen and we won’t even notice the incremental changes, it will come as Jesus says, “like a thief in the night”.
Everything we do at Love City is to help push that transformation, push our community, our world a little bit, to a place where there is more justice, more Love, more compassion. We have already seen this happen a lot, you just have to look around and see it. In the new and original Willy Wonka movies, there is a song called Pure Imagination, and I think it may be the song God was humming to Himself as the earth was created. In this song, Willy Wonka sings, “If you want to view paradise, simply look around and see it”. It is all around us.
As well as trying to live out “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. We also try to model and teach this idea at Mighty Oak. We want kids to be dreamers of a world filled with more Love and justice, and peace, and we want to give them the tools they need to help us make that a reality. If we can do the part we can, and encourage our students to continue that mission, then there is no doubt that we are creating big dreamers and world changers.
Ethan
GEAR UP for WINTER with LOVE CITY!!!
As we head in to the heart of winter, there is no better time to shop our line of apparel. Shop Now!
Some of our Various Designs
Porkland Back OPEN!!!
Warm up today with a warm fish sandwich or some Churched Up Tots. Nothing better to warm you up on a cold, drizzly day.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.