Thursday, January 15, 2009

Veggie Tales Theology

Christopher's favorite movie this week has been Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Eric and I were discussing yesterday, how all the Veggie Tales stories follow a Bible Story. This one doesn't. It was odd. Sure, it discusses Heroes, and doing the right thing, and helping others, but no one biblical story. Just a feature with the pirates.

So, then I was researching one of the songs, that has been sticking in my head. I wish I could've found it on youtube or something, it's kind of rappy, reggae, and catchy as all get out.

Yo Ho Hero

Raise the mast on the steadfast!
Swept to their bareback seahorse
Say they gonna try the sea course
Who could survive such a dangerous mission
Alongside pirates with zero ambition

We got the coconuts poured
We drop the hooks overboard
And if you get a little seasick
We play the Haddock for a Hat trick

We got the hammocks on the main deck
Swingin' low
We got the butler doin' the hen-peck
Screamin' so
He say we shoulda been swabbin' the poop deck
We dunno
It's what the other pirates do do
But we're bringin' you

Yo ho heroes
Standin' in the gap
Where'd you put the toys
Time to take a nap

Yo Ho heroes
Flighty as a bird
Easy is the word
Yo, I'm seein' no heroes

We're on a limbo craze
It's a relic from our limber days
Now we're stuck inside the Limbo-Zone
Its where the pirates go with too much time and a missing spine

Yo ho heroes
Standing in the gap
Where'd you put the map
Take another nap

Yo ho heroes
Strike a better pose
That's the way it goes
Yo, I'm seein' no heroes

We're on the Bad Mood Swing
We haven't done one thing
Not even a minimum daily requirement
We got the funk without the Parliament

And if you're feelin' a little seasick
rizeandshine
And if you wanna get off the guilt trip
Now's the time
Because the Captain of the Main Ship
Rings the chime
He could be comin' before you know Him
What are you gonna show Him

Go hero
Standing in the gap
Takin' up the slack
Followin' the King's Map

Go hero
Steady as a rock
I know it's a shock
Yo, there be a hero

Go hero
Standin' in the gap
Takin' up the slack
Followin' the King's Map

Go hero
Steady at the wheel
Keep an even keel
Yo, there be the King's hero


Suddenly this verse leapt out at me,
"And if you're feelin' a little seasick
rizeandshine
And if you wanna get off the guilt trip
Now's the time
Because the Captain of the Main Ship
Rings the chime
He could be comin' before you know Him
What are you gonna show Him"

Why didn't I see this before?
Duh.

The King is The Father! Heroes come in the unlikeliest of places, even cabin boys. The King will Come Again. When he does, he practically says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

"The adventure I call you to may not be easy, but you'll never journey alone. My help is always there."

1 comments:

thegoodfight said...

...difficulty being, of course, that Pirates is confused theology: If the King is God (the Father, one presumes), then how can he have an evil brother (the Devil, one presumes)? Further, if the King is God, then the Prince is the Son of God - and the Princess is... ????? And again, if the Prince is the Son of God, then why does he need to be rescued by mortals? Is this some new Atonement theology?

Personally, I would have rather that they intentionally avoided the "King=God" bit and left this as just a good moral fable. I love the Lord, and I love Veggietales, but the confused theology has just about spoiled this movie for me.