‘You ain’t never had a friend like Him’

I had the chance to watch Disney’s live-action offering of “Aladdin” the other day on Disney’s streaming service. The movie follows the basic story that we remember from 1992’s animated feature. In this one, Will Smith portrays the famous Genie of the lamp. It’s not a bad movie; however, I am not a big fan of remakes of animated classics, and this one is, in my opinion, forgettable.  However, there are some “diamonds in the rough” here, and I think they’re worth highlighting (see what I did there?).

The story presents us with the street urchin, Aladdin, who, while poor and unrefined, is a genuinely good person. Because of this, he ends up being recruited to enter the “Cave of Wonders” to retrieve the fabled lamp for the wicked vizier Jafar. Aladdin succeeds, and after a betrayal by Jafar, ends up in possession of the lamp – and more importantly, master of the Genie. The Genie presents Aladdin with the terms of the lamp, which include the three wishes that will drive the rest of the movie.

While we all know how the story goes, there are some valuable nuggets of wisdom that are shared in the telling. One is that wishes, no matter how many are granted, never satisfy the wisher. Instead, they always want more. The implied message is that one should come to terms with themselves as they are, and to learn to accept oneself as simply, and intrinsically good. It takes Aladdin the rest of the film to learn that.

The other lesson centered on the person of the Genie, whom everyone in the movie recognizes as “the most powerful being in the universe.” Even the Genie knows who and what he is, and what that means: “Phenomenal cosmic power; itty-bitty living space.” He is tied to servitude, even with all his power. Ironic.

What grabbed my brain on this is that so often we treat God this way: he is our genie. When we are in need, we find the time to “rub our lamps” and expect to have God intervene and then go away – or at least far enough away as to not interfere too much in my plans. God certainly can do the things that we often ask of him; often he does not – particularly because we really don’t understand what we are looking for in the first place. But God, in his omnipotence, in his wisdom, in his compassionate love, reveals what true power is about.

True power is about service.

The Genie becomes rather fond of Aladdin, and wants to help him – even when he cannot think to help himself. The Genie understands service; but more important, he understands true sacrificial love. Jafar, in his never-sated quest for more and more power, has no idea what this power means. When he forgets that service is a corollary of power, he is tricked into becoming a genie himself; and he is banished to the “genie gig” – not one of power, not even one of service, but of servitude.

In Jesus Christ, God reveals that power is about serving others. He even allows us to share in that power – so long as we share in the service. Otherwise, we see our obligations that should be motivated by pure love turn into bitterness and servitude. It’s no accident that Aladdin’s final, selfless wish is what frees the Genie. Aladdin was able to look within, see his own worth without any candy coating, and allow his friend to be free.

God is not a genie; but he is intimately fond of us. He would do anything for you – not because he is our slave, but because he is nothing but love. When we allow him to simply be himself, we discover how wonderful we are as well.

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