Fables, Frogs and Fearlessness, or: What I've Learned from the Muppets

Jesus used quite a bit of the time He spent teaching by sharing parables with His audience.  A parable is a simple story designed to reflect a much larger, more complex and ultimately, more important, concept.  His sweet little tale about the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find the one who strayed is a simplified picture of the love of the Lord, who actively and passionately seeks out the lost and needy, rather than only coddling and catering to the ones who are healthy and safe.

With that in mind, and also the sudden, renewed appreciation for the Muppets (as evidenced by the re-release of merchandise and movies, thanks to the latest Muppet film), I wanted to share with you some great life lessons that I am learning from those furry, floppy, fuzzy, friendly puppet-superstars of stage and screen.

Lesson #1: Your best defense - and your best offense - is TEAMWORK!  In every single Muppet movie, and in many episodes of the show, the Muppets must work together to achieve a common goal or overcome seemingly impossible odds.  Sometimes, one Muppet or another, who thinks he is better off without the group (or that the group is better without him), isolates himself and leaves himself open to danger or, maybe worse, the temptation of self-pity!  The author of Hebrews agrees with this.  In Hebrews 10:24-26 he writes, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  How much better are Christians - and Muppets - who work together, enjoy each others' company, and share their talents for the greater good?!

Lesson #2: It's okay to be different.  It's better to stick out in a crowd than to fit in but be heartsick inside.  It took Gonzo the Great years to finally realize this, but maybe he would have found peace sooner if he'd just read John 15:18-20: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master." If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."  As Christians, we are called to do things differently, and not to be ashamed when others question us.  Some people may see things as acceptable that we don't.  It's okay to take a stand - no matter what people might think.  Because, inevitably, you'll learn that...

Lesson #3: No matter how weird you are, you will still have genuine, honest-to-goodness friends who love you!  What a bunch of zanies the Muppets are!  They are wacky individuals with their own talents and styles, but they're held together by one small frog who sees the potential in all of them, and who loves them enough to prove it by being there for them!  Paul called both individuals and the young church bodies his "dear friends" in almost all of his letters to them.  Although he was eagerly trying to correct their wrongs and help them become more mature Christians, he didn't write these letters as though lecturing spoiled children; he wrote to lovingly discipline and improve them...just as anyone would want to see a good friend reach his or her full potential.  Paul had friends.  And Paul was a weird one.  Zealous Pharisee one day, born-again Jesus freak the next.  Trust me.  If Paul had friends who loved him, so do you!  And if you can't seem to find any, remember: Jesus is always on your side!

Lesson #4: Integrity is important.  Know what I love most about Kermit?  It's not his wicked banjo-playing abilities or his fashion sense.  It's his committment to integrity.  Although he is never afraid to change his approach to make himself heard (that is a whole lesson in itself!), one thing Kermit always holds on to is his sense of what is right, and what is important.  Thanks, little green dude, for reminding us that, when things get tough, the one thing we can never run away from is our own character.  So we'd better make the most of it!  In Proverbs 10:9, there's a short and sweet way of putting it: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out."

Lesson #5: Always have a song in your heart.  On occassion, you may need to share it!  The roads of life get bumpy.  Bad things happen.  Sometimes, really bad things.  But if you're always ready with encouragement, you can help ease someone's bad day.  And, the cool thing is, sowing those seeds of kindness has a way of coming back to you.  Some call it karma...but I call it blessing.  There's a simple principle that leads us to believe that, when we plant apple seeds, we get apple trees.  Orange seeds give us orange trees.  When we plant kindness and encouragement, we do reap it.  It doesn't always show up when we think it should, but I truly believe that it all comes back to us.  Besides, life is just more fun with a soundtrack - even if only you can hear it!