I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!

“I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

“I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

“I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

For anyone who has seen the live action movie “Peter Pan” you may remember this scene, Tinker Bell had drank Peters “medicine” that Caption Hook has poisoned, and she has died. The back story is very important her, Peter had gotten mad at tinker over her jealousy of Wendy, and he banished her. So Tink, in her disperse, made an alliance with Hook. It was because of her betrayal to Peter that Wendy and the rest were captured by Hook and his men.

Sounds a lot like life, and a lot like the Gospels.

With lent just around the corner, February 25 in Ash Wednesday, it’s time for us to start thinking about what we do believe in. Are we like Tink, have we made alliances what will be our death in the future, are we like Peter, do we banish what we don’t understand out of our lives, or are we like Wendy and the Lost Boys, are we captured in the ship of misunderstandings?

A pivotal point in the movie is Peter’s heartfelt cry of love for his friend Tink, and his willingness to place his own life on the line to save his Lost Boys and Wendy. Peter, on his knees cries out for all to hear, “I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!” he repeats the lament over and over, but to no avail. Tink is still gray and lifeless. But his prayer is heard by Wendy, in her heart and soul she hears Peters cry and joins in. The love of Peter for Wendy and Wendy for Peter transmit his anguish and she is able to pick up on it, carry some of the load for him. As the Lost Boys begin to hear Wendy, they to start to chant “I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

The faith of the one, Peter, turns in to the faith of two, Peter and Wendy. The faith of two, Peter and Wendy, turns in to the faith of many, The Lost Boys and the faith of many turns in to the faith of all who are believers, the children and all who are watching the movie. This short, but pivotal, part of the movie is one of my favorites.

I love the faith it takes to bring Tinker Bell back, the raw emotion that Peter displays for his friend and the simplicity of his prayer, “I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

We can learn a lot from that movie, Peter Pan is movie for all ages and if you look there are life lessons and lessons of faith everywhere.

With Lent just around the corner, maybe this is a good time to pick up a copy of Peter Pan and you too can pray Peters little pray of deep heartfelt faith, and you too can say  “I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

Or better yet “I do believe in Jesus, I do! I DO!” and who knows, maybe others will hear your simple little prayer and join in with you.

Peter saves his friends, and at the same time he learns a little bit more about himself, he grows up, ever so slightly. His walk is a long walk, Peter has the faith of a child and is scared to lose it, yet everyone around him, Wendy and the Lost Boys, all seem to want what Peter is scared of, they all want to grow up. Peter, in his love for them, allows them to leave him, allows them to grow up. In many ways, it is Peter who grows up the most, yet retains his child like simplicity. In many ways we all should have just a little bit of Peter in us. Peter does not believe in fairies because he is told to, or because of facts, Peter believes in Fairies because… And sometimes that is the best reason to believe…

 “I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

“I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

“I do believe in fairies, I do! I DO!”

Paul