Christian Robots

Looking at the title of this post might cause someone to think one of two things: Robots are Christians or Christians live their lives like robots. In a sense both of these thoughts are accurate when looking at the Disney PIXAR film, WALL-E.

The movie follows the life of a tiny robot that has been left on Earth to clean up. During his daily recycling work Wall-E finds a small plant- the only plant on the planet. Out of curiosity he takes it home. Not long after, a spacecraft enters the atmosphere and drops a new robot, EVA. She has been sent to Earth to find "life", which Wall-E supplies in the form of his plant. As the story moves on, the two robots are taken back into space where the surviving humans have taken up residence on a spaceship that is run by other robots who cater to the humans leaving them to grow unhealthy, obese, and lifeless (in the sense that they do nothing but eat, sleep, and talk to computer screens). However, through a series of events Eva and Wall-E show the humans that life is more then existence. It is work. It is relationships.
In the end, the two tiny robots lead the humans home to Earth and everyone lives happily ever after.

So what does this cute Disney PIXAR film have to do with Christians?

The answer is seen in the principles the movie portrays. First we see a lone inhabitant of the Earth, left there to care for it, who is soon joined by a female help meet. Sound familiar? Wall-E's life follows that of Adam in the Bible.
The Biblical principle of taking care of the earth God has created is also focused on as viewers see the ruin that waste and pollution does to our world.

I would also like to point out the way that the director portrays the humans in the movie. We see them as lazy, high maintenance robots. They go through their routine, do what everyone else does, and have no idea what they are missing.

In an interview with WORLD magazine, the director, Andrew Stanton, stated the following:

"With the human characters I wanted to show that our programming is the routines and habits that distract us to the point that we're not really making connections to the people next to us. We're not engaging in relationships, which are the point of living--relationship with God and relationship with other people."

I find that this is to true in the daily lives of believers. We say we love God and others, but we are to easily distracted by things in the world and we become content just siting and allowing someone else to take care of the lost and hurting around us.

WALL-E is a cute, well-created, and clean family film that should be enjoyed. But it is also a great challenge and lesson. Don't get caught up in the "new gadgets" of life, learn to live. Live for Christ.

Learn from the 'christian' robot. Don't be a Christian robot!

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2008/07/christian-themes-in-walle.html#ixzz1GcxmCS9M