The Greatest Showman

One of the things you can’t miss when you read through the gospels, especially Luke, is the way that Jesus cared for the disadvantaged and the outcasts. Jesus' message of good news was for all people. In scripture we see Jesus reaching out to, hanging out with and loving those who were sick, the Samari-tans, tax collectors, etc. These, among others, were the outcasts of Jesus’ day, and while most people saw only their sickness, or their title, or their race, Jesus was always able to see beyond that to what was most important. 

I always like a good movie, which means it’s been a bad couple years for me as I just haven’t seen anything lately that was worth seeing. Recently, however, I heard a lot of talk about this movie called, “The Greatest Showman” and how I just HAD to see it. So I did, and wow! What a great movie! Some of you won’t like it - it’s a musical. But there are some elements to that movie that I think people can resonate with and appreciate. The reason I think people have latched on to this movie is that there are parts of it that really echo the greatest story ever told. Without giving too much away, I’ll briefly just say that it tells the story of P.T. Barnum, the man who went from nothing to a worldwide sensation by starting the Circus. The circus features a cast of people who are looked at as freaks and outcasts by the majority of society, however within the circus family they not only belong, they are the stars of the show. 

Jesus offered salvation to all people. Sometimes it came in the form of healing, sometimes in the form of the forgiveness of sins, sometimes in the release from the bondage of money. May we always strive to be just like Jesus in the way that we welcome the outcasts, the sick and the disadvantaged. The good news of Jesus offers us all - regardless of how we come to him - the greatest life imaginable. We get to enjoy this new status together with other brothers and sisters who also know what this joyful life in the kingdom looks like! We don’t call it a circus - we call it church, even though admittedly one can seem like the other at times.