Tangled-An Allegory of Faith

Tangled has long been my favorite movie—its adventures of frying pans and floating lights always captivated me. So in this time where we find ourselves quarantined like Rapunzel, I wanted to share some of the faith elements behind this whimsical allegory to hopefully spark a little joy and hope. 

I heard once that, in directing/producing the movie, Glen Keane was inspired by James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, floating down from the father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.” Like Rapunzel, we were born with potential for creativity, kindness, and beauty. She's the daughter of a good King—and I believe that we were also born as honored children of God, who is described as a good King. I believe that humans are, like Rapunzel, known and loved by God, originally safe in His kingdom, and designed to care for the world as His heirs. 

Unfortunately, Rapunzel was kidnapped by Gothel, who pretended to protect her while actually imprisoning her with lies. And while our lives are still beautiful like the inside of the tower, many have felt like there must be more to life, as Rapunzel sensed every day. 

Rapunzel’s father sent out lights, hoping they’d remind her of who she was so she could follow them home. God says He sends out lights into the world, which are His children (Matthew 5:14-17) who reflect His unconditional love and encourage others to come home. The lights were the starting point to Rapunzel’s journey but insufficient to reveal her identity, and while lights (good people) can point us to God, they aren't themselves the Truth. Thousands of years ago, when the Jews cried out to God in captivity, He sent visions to their prophets that He would someday come to earth in human form to guide them back to Him and show them their true identity (Daniel 7:13, Ezekiel 34). When Jesus arrived, He fulfilled every prophecy and declared that people could look at Him as God's Son and the Truth to see what God was like (John 14:8). He healed terminal diseases, reversed stigmas, welcomed outcasts, elevated women in a male-dominant society, and commanded us to love our enemies. While not a thief like Flynn Ryder, Jesus described himself as a “thief in the night” (because he's unexpected). Similar to Flynn who helped Rapunzel break free  and shed light on her sheltered life of fear, Jesus showed us a new way to live where we can love others without limits because God loves us. He taught us that we cannot "earn Heaven" by being good people, as no one is perfect, but loves us because we're His and offers eternal life/salvation to anyone who will simply turn to Him. 

Rapunzel realized she was the lost princess, yet this revelation wasn’t enough to free her, as she still struggled with Gothel. It was sacrificial act of love in which Flynn died on Rapunzel’s behalf that conquered the darkness once-and-for-all. Like Rapunzel, we have a problem with darkness—while we can be kind and loving, we also hurt ourselves and others. We may want to do good but don’t always do so, as no one is immune to lying, hatred, lust, or greed. We are all part of the problems of this world, and there are consequences for our wrongdoings, as justice requires payment. But because He loves us, God does not want us to have to pay for our wrongdoings, so He in a sense He "paid" for us when He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross in our place. In a sacrificial act of love, because God is perfect and has no crimes to pay of His own, He stepped behind the jail bars in our place to pay the sentences for every wrong we'll ever do and told us to go free.

After this bittersweet act of sacrificial love, 3 days after his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead. Likewise, Flynn rose from the dead to be reunited with Rapunzel. The interesting twist is that Rapunzel had within her this light from above that could heal and save. God fills those who follow Him with the radiant light of His Spirit in their lives. While Gothel told Rapunzel to hide that light, Rapunzel received joy and fulfilled her purpose when she used that light to heal others. Though darkness will tell us to hide the gift of God’s spirit in us, God calls us to use His power to bring healing and do good. We too can be lanterns that reflect the love of a Father who never gives up on loving His children.

One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Rapunzel reunites with her parents. At first, she stands at a distance, and I can imagine insecurities fill her mind. But within moments, her parents wrap her in their arms and collapse to the ground in tears. That's the image Jesus uses to describe how God feels when His children come home (Luke 15:11-32). He doesn't wag his finger and say: "I told you so" or ask how we plan to get rid of our baggage or what we've done to merit his favor. He loves us at our worst (Romans 5:8) and is overjoyed that we're safely home. Though I often find myself trying to clean up my act before God, thinking I’ll merit salvation, He reminds me that He loves me for me. While God certainly desires for us to be good, His love isn’t based on our goodness.

Like the lost princess, we weren’t designed to be stuck in a dark tower, and Jesus wants us to be free, knowing we are more loved, safe, and belonging to Him than we’ll ever imagine. When we trust in Jesus, just as Rapunzel trusted in Flynn to take her out of that tower, He promises to set us free from condemnation and Hell. Sometimes it can take longer for that freedom to soak into our lives. If the story continued, Rapunzel might have struggled with PTSD of being re-trapped or taken years to learn that her parents love her and won’t treat her like Gothel. And even if Jesus has saved us, we may still feel at times like we’re trapped in that tower--locked up by fear and pain, struggling to trust Him. But reality is we’re not in that tower anymore, as we belong to God forever. And we are being healed slowly, overtime. There's no deadlines or expectations to be perfect, and He promises He won’t abandon us one step of the way. He loves us because we're His. No judgment, no strings attached. We can cry out to Him when things are hard, and He will take our hand, reminding us that nothing could ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:28). 

And if that's not a happily ever after, I don't know what is. 

 Note: If you have any questions on starting a relationship with God or just need someone to talk to during these difficult times, I would love to hear your story! You can email me at: littlemisscharisma@gmail.com.