The Gospel According to Beauty and the Beast

by Mary Scifres

  Stories of Transformation Invite Us In

  Stories like the gospels and Beauty and the Beast do more than tell us tales of transformation, they invite us inside the stories themselves, that we too may be transformed in the hearing and the seeing. As we fall in love with an eccentric mantle clock and a frightening beast, we are encouraged to look at what passes for beauty and ugliness in new ways. We begin to question our definition of beauty when we see the unpleasant ego of the outwardly gorgeous Gaston lead him into self-absorption and narcissistic cruelty. As we see how perceptions both limit and expand the characters on screen, we are invited to perceive the world differently. Like the parables of Jesus, the story of Beauty and the Beast challenges us to explore our own perspectives, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. When do my ego and self-absorption reflect the character Gaston? How does my compassion echo Belle’s purity of heart? When do I run away in fear, or turn away in doubt, as Belle and Beast do? How courageously do I pursue new ventures, and how timidly do I return to the old familiar ways? Where am I able to perceive with an open mind, and when do I close myself off and see only what I expect to see? How does this story transform my perspective and encourage me to transform my life and my world for the better?

  As we engage this story with self-reflection, the story gains the power to transform us. As we re-tell the story and discuss its meanings, we are better equipped to discover and learn the myriad lessons it offers. Such is the case with the stories of Jesus. Although gospel literally means “good news,” the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John only become the good news of Jesus when we listen for the life-giving messages that Jesus offers through his life and teachings. These gospel stories only become transformative when we read or listen to these stories, question the lessons, allow them to challenge us, and open ourselves to the wisdom they teach. The same holds true for Disney’s fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. When we engage stories of transformation with self-reflection and openness to new insights, we integrate the stories into our own stories. Only then can the transformative power of these stories truly transform our lives.

  So, delve with me, if you will, into these stories. Allow them to raise your awareness as we embark on journeys of transformation. For there is wisdom to be gained as we explore the perspectives underlying our definition of beauty and our stereotypes of beasts. There is beauty to be discovered as we expand our perception of beauty to look beyond first impressions and outward appearances. There is strength to be attained by embracing a transformative and transforming community of friends and family, one that will grow with us on this journey toward ever-expanding love and fulfillment in our lives. There is power to be discovered when we embrace and extend self-giving love in our interactions with others along this journey. But most of all, there is healing to be found in realizing that Beauty and the Beast is more than a story of romantic love, it is a story of transformative love—a love that changes both individuals and communities. When we engage stories as imaginative as Beauty and the Beast, and as inspirational as the gospels, we discover a life-giving power of love that can transform the world for the better. Such is the power of story. Such is the power of love.

  2.THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE

  Awaken to a New Perspective

  Religious teachers, including Jesus, the Buddha, and Hindu sages, are always telling us to wake up—to be alert, alive, attentive, or aware. The title Buddha literally means “one who is awake.” Henry David Thoreau wrote: “To be awake is to be alive. I have never met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?”[14] If we are not aware of what is truly going on around us, we go through life asleep, condemned to live enslaved to our assumptions and existing paradigms of thought and behavior. But when we awaken to the beautiful creation and yet unimagined possibilities within and around us, light shines forth and new paths are revealed. Waking up and perceiving things as they are, not as they appear to us, changes everything. A change in perspective and the related change in perception can spark new ideas, new experiences, and new possibilities.

  When Belle begins to let down her walls and befriend Beast, the duo sing of discovering something new and unexpected in each other. Twice in the song “Something There,” Belle sings of qualities in Beast that she hadn’t noticed before. She wonders why she didn’t see it there before. Had Beast changed or was she seeing in a new way? Had she previously closed her mind, blinding her to any new possibilities that might emerge? Perhaps she has been trapped by her negative reaction when Wardrobe suggests Beast is “not so bad when you get to know him.”[15] Belle wanted nothing to do with the cruel captor who had imprisoned her father and now held her prisoner.

  Did Belle fail to truly see him because she didn’t really look? Surely, no one could blame her for not wanting to know this beast. But disinterest is not like Belle, who loves to dream and see the world for all of its possibilities. After all, it is her imaginative outlook that leads the townspeople to sing about how very odd and different she is. In closing off this part of herself, in limiting her perception to what she expects to see, Belle is initially unable to see beyond Beast’s worst version of himself. But as they come to know each other after saving each other’s lives in the forest, Belle gradually recognizes that her close-minded perspective has limited her vision, and that Beast is more than she perceived him to be. Her perspective about a beast holding innocent victims captive prevented her from looking any deeper. As she broadens her perspective and her awareness awakens to new “seeing,” Belle’s curiosity is further sparked and their friendship begins to grow in new and beautiful ways.

  The Image of God Within

  The path toward transformation is much smoother when we bring a creative, open-minded perspective. Perspective, or point of view, gives us a frame of reference from which we are able to perceive things around and within us. Additionally, perspective determines our attitude toward the things we perceive. The values, expectations, paradigms, and framework we bring to any encounter shapes not only what we perceive, but how we judge and interpret our perceptions.

  A creative, open-minded perspective allows us to accept and embrace new information along the way and to discover new possibilities as we travel the road of life. We are not yet finished products, and as the journey of life pulls us forward to new levels of growth and being, we can develop a creative, imaginative perspective that expands our awareness and awakens us to new perceptions. Likewise, when we bring a hopeful perspective, we are better able to perceive the beauty and light that are all around us. Jesus points to this truth in his actions, sermons, and parables (teaching stories), reminding us that we are created in the image of God, and that we are the light of the world. Jesus changed the world by showing that beauty lies within each and every one of us. Only from this perspective are we able to perceive the beauty and light that are all around us.

  We glimpse the ability to see God’s light in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.[16] When little Cindy Lou meets the beastly Grinch disguised as Santa Claus, she recognizes that he is not behaving like the Santa Claus of her family’s stories. And yet, she perceives that this Santa Claus, who is hauling away her Christmas tree instead of placing presents beneath it, will respond as Santa Claus should to her question: “Why are you taking our Christmas tree?” Little Cindy Lou sees something in the Grinch that seems impossible for those of us who “know” the Grinch’s “true character.” It is as if she views the world, and even an ugly old Grinch, with the child-like perspective that Jesus says is required if we are to receive God’s kingdom.[17] She expects Santa-like beauty and light from this stranger in her home on Christmas Eve. Perhaps in her childlike innocence, Cindy Lou is able to see beyond appearances to the magic of unseen possibilities.

  Of course, she comes from a community that sees the world “like a little child,” as Jesus exhorts us all to do. Unencumbered by the need to judge things based on external appearances, the Whos down in Whoville celebrate the
arrival of Christmas in a town stripped bare of all decorations, gifts, and even food. The Grinch simply can’t believe his ears as the Whos gather together to sing their Christmas joy. How could they celebrate without ribbons and bows, gifts and gadgets? As the Grinch’s tiny heart grows exponentially in response to his changed perspective, he joyfully returns to the town with everything he has taken. The Whos’ hopeful, loving perspective allows them to see beyond the Grinch’s former beastly behavior, and to welcome him into their community as he discovers the goodness within himself.

  Our perspective can clarify or cloud our vision. It can imprison us in previous understandings, or free us to discover new possibilities. Our perspective lays the foundation for our journeys of transformation by blocking or paving the way toward growth. When we bring a creative spirit to our journeys, we broaden our perspectives and widen the paths upon which we walk. Add a hopeful outlook, and we smooth the roads before us as we undertake our journeys toward life-giving transformation. Look for light in others along the way, and discover beauty and guiding lights we might otherwise miss.

  Was the Prince Truly a Beast?

  In Beauty and the Beast, perspective (and perceptions related to perspective) have a huge impact on every character in the story, beginning with a self-absorbed prince and an old beggar woman who appears at his door one dark and stormy night. In this encounter, the prince’s perspective on poverty, beauty, and worth limits his ability to see beyond appearances—a limitation that will change his life forever. But the mysterious woman also brings her own perspective on heartless and spoiled people of privilege and responsibility—a perspective that ultimately determines the prince’s future life.

  She is reputed to have seen right into the prince’s soul, determining that he was devoid of love in his heart. This determination is far more damning than one might reasonably draw from the prince’s decision to simply turn away an old beggar he found repulsive. The enchantress perceives that the prince has no potential for goodness, kindness or love without a drastic change in his life. Perhaps her perception is truly magical and she is correct in her judgment. But what if her perception was based upon a limited perspective?

  What if the enchantress chose instead to perceive the young prince with an eye toward his potential? What if she looked for the light within, trusting that every human is created in the divine image? What if she brought the same perspective of child-like trust that Cindy Lou brought to her encounter with the Grinch? What if she had invited his heart to grow a few more sizes in loving capacity, rather than judging him for the lack of love she perceived?

  I’ve never been terribly enamored with the enchantress from the 1991 film for casting her spell upon the prince and his entire castle. She seems to bring a perspective that contrasts greatly with Jesus’ perspective that everyone has the capacity to love and be loved. No wonder the stories of Jesus are called “gospel” stories, a word that means “good news.” The perspective that every person is capable and deserving of love is good news indeed!

  Who We Are Created to Be

  Jesus’ perspective builds upon the earliest lesson from Judaism’s ancient creation story from Genesis 1: Humans are created in the image of God. We are all divinely created, and made to reflect the infinite love of our Source. God, our Source, creates us and crafts us for the beauty of love, not for the great void of love’s absence.

  Jesus sees the world from this perspective, with an eye toward the potential and loving possibilities within each and every person he encounters. Surrounded by religious leaders much like Beast’s enchantress, Jesus sees the world through different eyes. Whereas his fellow leaders categorize the world in terms of unclean and clean, sinner and non-sinner, outsider and insider, Jesus refuses to accept these categories. Instead Jesus categorizes the whole world as God’s world, and every person within it as a precious creature living within the loving realm of God. “The kingdom of God is within you,” Jesus proclaims boldly. “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,” he promises. Whoever sees a naked person or an old hag at the door and welcomes her welcomes God, Jesus teaches again and again. Knowing each person is created in the divine image, Jesus entered each encounter expecting to encounter the God-light within. In proclaimed statements, in parable-teachings, and in acts of hospitality and inclusion, Jesus shows us that perspective changes everything. Indeed, Jesus’ expectant perspective changed more than the world of Judaism Jesus was born into; it changed the mighty Roman Empire and even the world.

  Nobody’s Perfect

  But as our story begins, there is not yet a Jesus-character in this castle. Instead, there is just a selfish prince, a self-indulgent royal class, a passive set of servants, and a judgmental enchantress who condemns a young, self-centered boy to a beastly future seemingly for a single selfish act. This poor prince! In the 1991 film, he must have been all of 10 or 11 years old, a tween or young adolescent at most. Few of us can look back on those years without regretting some selfish decision we made. Growing through adolescence, almost by necessity, precipitates some unkind behaviors and self-absorbed attitudes as young children seek self-determination and self-definition apart from the adults who shape and rule their lives.

  When I was in my early 30s, I assisted at a college friend’s wedding. Family tensions were high, and there were tricky moments that had to be carefully negotiated if the bride and groom were to have a joyous wedding celebration without family arguments or antics. My friend’s parents had known me as a college student and still perceived me as the 20-year-old they had once known. After the lovely wedding weekend, they commented to their daughter, “We can’t believe how kind Mary was to your husband’s parents. She’s always been so judgmental, but she was so accepting of them!” With the same hopeful, open-minded perspective they brought to their classrooms and their students each semester, they offered their hopeful, open-minded perspective to this new encounter with me. With this openness, they looked beyond their memory of me as a selfish, judgmental college student. Thank heavens her parents, both educators, had seen both the good and the bad in their students over the years and gladly looked for both in me! If not, they might have warned her away before she and I needed each other most, as we would just a few short years later. Instead, seeing the God-light shining within me, her parents encouraged my own journey toward life-giving transformation through friendship with their daughter.

  Our young prince was not so lucky in his encounter with this enchantress. She brings a much narrower perspective as she views the prince to be lacking any spark of love in his heart. This enchantress judges quickly, forgoing any opportunity for second chances or forgiveness, and casts her spell upon the young prince and his castle. Jesus’ open-minded perspective—a perspective that sees the God-image in all—is absent in this early part of our tale; but of course, this is a fairy tale, not a scripture lesson.

  As in many fairy tales, a magical creature initiates a dramatic crisis, and perhaps this magical enchantress brings deep wisdom about the prince’s need for transformation. Perhaps she came as a teacher along the lines of a Merlin to King Arthur, a wise crone sent to impart a necessary lesson to interrupt the young prince’s demise into self-absorption and cruelty. In the end, the enchantress does provide an opportunity for this young prince to grow into the beautiful being God had created him to be and become. From that perspective, she brings good intentions and wise guidance to this young prince’s life. But initially, she judges harshly and condemns strictly, with little acknowledgment of his potential to grow into a being of light and love.

  Understanding the enchantress is particularly challenging with such limited information, as is often the case in understanding the people we encounter. Recognizing that audiences want to understand more about this mysterious enchantress, the 2017 filmmakers fill out the story of this mysterious enchantress. She becomes both the sorceress who places the prince and his castle under a terrible spell, but also the careful watcher who ultimately blesses them with jou
rneys of life-giving transformation. Here, the prince is no boy, but a young man luxuriating in his castle at the expense of his highly taxed citizens. While he hosts a room full of French aristocrats for a decadent evening of dining and dancing, a mighty wind suddenly blows out the candles and opens the doors to reveal an old woman in need of shelter. Surely, a wise ruler or an attentive fairytale prince would have recognized that some sort of divine or mystical moment is occurring. At the very least, he would have known his obligation to offer polite hospitality, handing her to his servants for shelter and care. Instead, he rejects her, laughs at her, reviles her in front of his guests, and ignores her advice to not be deceived by appearances. Much too late, the prince recognizes she is a magical enchantress, and he is immediately transformed into a hideous beast. Such will be his fate until he learns to love and receive love in return.

  Yet this 2017 enchantress seems to pull for the prince at every turn—going so far as to live among the villagers as an old spinster, directing the lightning strike that directs Maurice to the castle, and setting in motion the events that lead to Belle’s ultimate arrival at the castle. This new enchantress, however we might feel about the fairness of her curse, at least offers grace to Beast as he moves toward transformation, even setting aside the condition that he must find love before her enchanted rose’s last petal falls.

  A Perspective of Wholeness

  So how are we to view the enchantress? Is she a fairy godmother or an evil villain? Is she a savior or a demon? Is it possible that she is both an old lady in need of assistance and a beautiful enchantress offering blessings and lessons through her spell? Perhaps she, like the young prince, is a melding of both goodness and cruelty, light and shadow, life and death. Are we not all some combination of these things? Only from a perspective of the “both-and” nature of every living person can we see another more fully. Otherwise, we slip into a limited perspective of “either-or,” defining one person as “good” and another as “bad.”