The Spirit Lives In His People

11 Feb

“Our spirit.  It lives in our people.  Norway.”  ~ From movie, The Spirit of Norway, in EPCOT

Every time I would visit EPCOT at Walt Disney World, I would go to the Norway pavilion to ride the Maelstrom.  It was a great ride, in my opinion, and I was very disappointed when Disney took it out and replaced it with a ride dedicated to the Frozen franchise.  The original ride gave you a taste of Norway and ended with a movie, The Spirit of Norway.  I would always be so surprised to see people exit the theatre after the ride instead of staying for the movie.  That was my favorite part of the experience.

The movie followed a young boy’s visit to a museum.  There, artifacts from the days of the Vikings were present.  The movie began by stating “to know this land’s heart and soul is to discover its spirit.”  As the boy looked, the movie would flash to images of Norway’s past and present.  Images of Vikings, of industry, of genial countryside all flashed by.  Finally, at the end of the short movie, the boy reaches out to put his hand on a Viking boat and the crowd hears, “Our spirit.  If lives in our people.  Norway.”

It always made me think, “Such a beautiful country.  Such beautiful fjords.  I want what they have.”  I’ll be honest.  That movie always made me want to go and visit Norway.  Like immediately.  That’s how much it stirred me.

There is another Spirit that lives in people: the Spirit of God.  When people look at us, at any Christian, they should see the Spirit shining forth in our words and deeds.  Our lives should so move them that they would say to themselves, “I want what that person has.”  If a movie would be done about our lives, it should be appropriate to end it with “His Spirit.  It lives in His people.  Christian.”

FAITH ACTION:  Live in the Spirit today so that others might come to see a true disciple in Jesus Christ.