One of the things that I had been doing the past few weeks was helping out at a summer youth group for middle school students. It's been a rewarding experience, and even though I am there to help, I still learn a lot from the lessons that we teach and the dicussions we begin. Two weeks ago, we showed a video to the kids called The Butterfly Circus. The Butterfly Circus is a short film that follows one man's through his journey from ridicule to greatness, from despair to hope. I'm posting the video below, and I highly recommend that you watch it before reading the rest of this post. If you don't have time to watch the twenty minute video now, I'll summarize below.
The film begins with the Butterfly Cirucs troupe stopping at another circus - a circus that bases its entertainment off of showcasing "freaks of nature" and fortune telling. Mr. Mendes - the ringmaster of the Butterfly Circus - walks into the sideshow and views the bearded lady, the tatooed man and then in the words of the guide "a man that some say even God himself turned His back on." This man named Will and played by Nick Vujicic had no arms nor legs. While the crowd began to murmur, laugh and throw tomatoes at Will, Mr. Mendes just looked on with sadness and wonder and then went to Will to say, "You are magnificient." After being spit on by Will, Mr. Mendes just apologizes and leaves which surprises Will. Intrigued by this man and his work, Will manages to sneak into the Butterfly Circus and becomes a part of their team, but not as a person to be ridiculed. Will watches how the Butterfly Circus performs and brings pure joy to people, not like the "joy" that the other circus brought to people. He is awed by their work and wishes that he could be like them. Then Mr. Mendes takes Will aside and tells him that the people in his circus have all come from a broken past and then says, "See the beauty that comes from ashes...you have an advantage. The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph." Later on, while the troupe is playing in a river, they leave Will alone on the other side, despite his calls for help to cross. When no one hears his cries, Will becomes determined to cross the river on a log despite having no legs or arms to help him. The next thing he knows, he has fallen into the river and in a panic, the troupe begins to search for him. To the surprise of everyone there, Will did not need any help; he could swim! Despite having no arms or legs, Will could do something they never thought possible. The troupe cheered at Will's newfound talent and eventually gave him an act in their circus. After the circus, instead of being laughed at, the cirucs fans crowded around him in wonder and awe. Will had achieved something more than he had ever thought possible.
That's the basic summary of the video, but having rewatched the video multiple times, I've noticed many ideas that this short film is portraying. The Butterfly Circus isn't just about the victory of Will; it's a representation of our lives and what we can do with them with God's help. It shows us that what the world says about us and how we can do so much more than what the world expects. I want to take a closer look at some of the things that The Butterfly Circus represents.
First, I want to compare and contrast the two circuses. The first circus promoted a very different idea than the Butterfly Circus. The first circus used its position in society to ridule those whom they believed did not meet the world's standards. They took joy in other people's pain. They also used it to promote practices such as fortune telling that can be dangerous to one's soul. In other words, this circus tempted people to be the worst version of themselves by making the bad, detrimental things look appealing. In some ways, this circus represents the world. Sometimes the world makes things that can harm us look good. It can tell us lies that sounds like the truth.
On the other hand, we have the Butterfly Circus that is very much different from the first circus. When Will first talked with the Butterfly troupe, he wondered if he could join their sideshow, but Mr. Mendes had told him that there was no sideshow and that they did things differently. This scene always reminds me of Proverbs 14:4. "Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way." The Butterfly Circus is going their own way. They are not like the other circuses around. The joy that they create comes from their God-given talents. They come from true accomplishments, not breaking others down. They bring pure joy to people, a true happiness that lasts. They bring hope, joy, love and the will to do great things. Doesn't this sound like something you want to be around? I would, and this is the genius of teh Butterfly Circus. The Butterfly Circus is almost a representation as what we should be in the world - our mission from Christ. And what better way to do that than by building people up and encouraging them to spread their wings and fly?
The name in "Butterfly Circus" in itself suggests the work that Mr. Mendes intends to accomplish in the lives of others. Think about the life cycle of a butterfly. A butterfly begins as a caterpillar - a lowly creature that seems insignificant. It can only crawl around; others look down on it. This is similar to the stage where Will was in the sideshow at the first circus. The next stage is the cacoon. In this stage, there's a transformation going on. Sometimes, being trapped in a cacoon is a bit uncomfortable; you feel a bit enclosed and trapped. Maybe you don't feel like you quite belong, like you're meant for soemthing more. This is the stage where Will had left the first circus and joined the Butterfly Circus but had no specific role in it; this is where he was searching for who he really was. The last stage to a butterfly is the breaking out of the cacoon, comes out as a butterfly and flies away. No longer is it a simple crawling creature, it is a magnificient being that can soar to higher heights than ever thought possible. This is where Will discovers he can swim; he could do something that no one ever though possible. He had overcome every obstacle that stood in his way to do amazing things.
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The next two things I want to look at are the characters of Mr. Mendes and Will. Mr. Mendes was the leader of group of people who did not fit well into society; he welcomed anyone despite their circumstances and helped them do things that they never could have done without his guidance. He led his troupe around the land, bringing comfort to the people and some even thought he did miracles. He did not conform to the world and loved people for who they are. He was once spit on even. Does any of this sound familiar? Mr. Mendes almost seems like Jesus. Like Jesus, Mr. Mendes is a role model for how we are to live our lives: with love, patience, kindness and courage.
On the other hand, we have Will. Will is looked down on by society for not being "normal" because of his lack of limbs. Will is one who believes the lies that the world tells him. He believes he is a freak because that is what he hears. Not until one soul like Mr. Mendes enters his life does he begin to believe that he is capable of doing great things. Once he begins to trust and believe, his will becomes more resolved and he does accomplish things that no one thought he could do. He came from a lowly background with little support to a man that was looked up to in wonder and amazement. When we begin to pray and rely on God, we too can accomplish the great plans that God has in store for us.
While different people will get different things out of this video, here's my take-away points from what I have seen:
- Nothing can stop you from being who you are meant to be. The world can't stop you, your friends can't stand you, your parents can't stop you. If God intends for you to do something, you can overcome the obstacles.
- No one can define who you are. What Will was called while in the sideshow was not who he was. That was what the world thought, but sometimes, the world is wrong. You're the daughter or son of God!
- Despite what the world tells us,we can conquer anything; we can do something in this world.
- Whatever stands in your way can be overcome, never let someone tell you what you can do.
- "See the beauty that comes from ashes." (Mr. Mendes) The Butterfly Circus troupe was not perfect; they had flaws like you and I, but the difference is that they went above those flaws and used their talents for good. You do not have to be perfect or have everything together to do something in the world.
- "The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph." (Mr. Mendes) We all have struggles. Some of us might struggle with looks, others may have family problems. Some may have a physical limitation, others might have an addiction. But despite whatever we are going through, we can overcome them with God's help and the help of those around us. When we triumph over our struggles, they will be more beautiful, more cause to triumph over because of all the dedication and strength we put in to overcoming them.
The Butterfly Circus is definitely a film that can encourage and inspire. While you may have gotten different things out of the video than I did, I encourage you to take another look at where you are in your walk with Christ and to live out the things you have learned. Live them out and do not be ashamed of being different! God has great plans in store for you, and you can accomplish them!
~Emily Silverwing
