To Reality, And Beyond…

One of the greatest draws of Pixar movies is their ability to arrest the imagination of adults and children alike. While they are each great, none of the movies have captured those common childhood fantasies as perfectly as Toy Story. In the world of Woody, Rex, Slinky, and Hamm, toys exist and live for the sole pleasure of their boy. Although there is a world outside of Andy’s house, the characters only care about one ultimate truth: They are Andy’s toys. This world creates a community where they share a common goal, they live to fulfill their only purpose, and they love their toy friends in a utopic society.

You know the story: One day a self-absorbed, rubber-headed space cadet arrives on the scene. Although they are all in Andy’s room, Buzz Lightyear lives in a different reality. Engulfed in his mission to defeat the Evil Emperor Zerg, Buzz dutifully ignores the signs that he is delusional. The other toys, impressed by the new-toy-on-the-block, become distracted from their goal and purpose. Even Woody, Andy’s most faithful toy, begins to lose his way.

At the low-point of the story, Buzz and Woody are lost. They wander away from Andy—one fueled by ignorance and the other by jealousy—and they are captured by the delinquent neighbor boy, Sid. Fleeing from the maniac schemes of Sid, Buzz finally discovers that his world is a farce. Realizing the lie (which he had believed from his inception), Buzz begins to self-destruct. All seems lost until Woody (realizing the same truth in a deeper way) begins to repeat message he had known all along: “You are Andy’s toy!” With this truth ringing in their ears Buzz and Woody embark on their unified pursuit to return to Andy.

The plot of the story speaks for itself but another contour must be acknowledged. Until the moment that Buzz realized his true purpose, he had been living an existence that was ultimately self-destructive and joyless. Afterwards, Buzz flourishes in his uniqueness as a toy and only then does he experience the intended fullness of life.

Twenty-three years ago, a baby boy was born. Although I was pretty cute (as babies tend to be), I was born into a life of ignorant delusion. Accepting a reality that fabricates personal value and purpose, I was enslaved to a fantasy that is ultimately self-destructive and joyless. As time went on I began to see that my pursuits were meaningless vanities made only to stroke my own ego. Until the delusion was shattered and the truth was shown, I could not pursue the intended fullness of life. Look to Christ. We can only taste and see the fullness of Life through the truth of the One who was in the beginning.