Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Footloose -- The Four Men Of Ariel

FOOTLOOSE – THE FOUR MEN OF ARIEL

Recently, I posted on facebook about the release of the movie Footloose represents a freedom and a turn around of events in some of your lives. Are any of you enjoying the freedom yet? I know I am. It seemed like things shifted for me the very next day. Yes, the ugly serpent will lift up his head again, but for now enjoy your fresh wind.

I am now going to take a prophetic look into one of the characters in the film. The character I am going to look at is Ariel. I feel like this word is going to free some of you from things you have been carrying for a long time. WARNING THIS WORD CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE FILM.

Ariel is the wild child of the film. She is a preacher’s daughter. She wasn’t always wild. It wasn’t until the death of her brother that she turned out the way she did. I believe that there are four men in Ariel’s life that totally transforms her.

The first man I will look at is Pastor Shaw. He is Ariel’s father. The meaning of the name Shaw is wood. The relationship between Ariel and her father after her brother’s death is like dried up wood. Her father seems like wood. He seems distant and cold. Even his relationship with God seems more about rules than love. Yes, he does feel like he is protecting not only the flock but the entire town by his rules. But he loves out of hurt and loving from hurt always leads to control. He feels like he is loving Ariel by trying to control her with his rules but he is only pushing her away. She looks to another man to find the love she so desperately needs.

She finds a man named Chuck. The name Chuck means free man. Ariel feels free when she is around him. She feels free to be herself. The only other time she feels this free is when she dances. There is freedom in the dance, but because of her father dancing is now illegal.

So, she settles for the freedom she feels with Chuck, but after awhile she doesn’t feel free anymore. She feels controlled and oppressed. She feels used and talked down to. She didn’t find freedom in rules and now she doesn’t find freedom in breaking all the rules.

She yearns for someone else. She yearns for someone to come and rescue her. She meets Ren. Ren is the man she has always dreamed of, but at first she doesn’t see that he is. The name Ren means Raven.

1 King 17:1-7

1Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." 2And the word of the LORD came to him: 3"Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

Ariel feels fed by Ren. She feels full when she is around him. Sometimes, he cuts her with his words but overall she knows he is a good guy. She feels comfortable around him and she trusts him. She feels secure in his arms. She should the man jumped in front of a train to rescue her!

The name Ren also means romance and love. That is how she feels with Ren. She feels loved. She can be herself and not be controlled or abused when she is around him. Ren even stands up to her father and transforms the entire town from rules to freedom. Part of the restored freedom was freedom to dance! Freedom to experience joy!

The relationship with her father was even restored because of Ren. Ariel and her father did something they haven’t done together in years. They danced! She felt so loved. She felt so forgiven while dancing in her father’s big strong arms.

Okay, that’s it…..

Oh, there is one more man. Yeah, that’s right. The relationship with this man wasn’t shown in the film, but He was always there under the surface. Some of you are feeling Him now or while reading this blog.

This man loved Ariel in every fiber of her being. He loves her in a way that no other man can. He loves you that same way. He loves her so much that He was even hidden in her name. You see, the name Ariel means: Lion Of God.

Right now the Lion is rising up in some of you. He is eating away the pain. Eating away the hurt, the despair and the darkness. Allow Him to do so. Yell, if you have to, Scream if you have to. It is okay to cry. It is okay to laugh, shake and dance. Allow Him to move upon you and through you. Allow Him to set you free. I see a bird flying out of the darkness. Your soul has been dark for too long. It is time to be free. He does not condemn you. He says “Come”. Son and daughter come and drink. Taste and see that I am good. Son and daughter come home. Come and dine with me. Come and dance with me. I love you with an everlasting love.

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