Sharing God’s Story with Wreck-it Ralph

This Reel Parable has major spoilers, and I mean major. Major like “did you know that Bruce Willis was dead in the Sixth Sense?” major. This movie bible study assumes that you have seen Wreck-it Ralph or don’t care if we spoil it for you. We warned you…

This is part 1 of a 6 part Christian movie review of Wreck-it Ralph. You can find all of our Wreck-it Ralph content here.

Sharing God’s story with Wreck-it Ralph

Wreck-it Ralph is a super fun movie. It’s the kind of movie that strikes a delicate balance between nerdy and cool but also sits squarely between kid friendly and adult friendly.

I loved it and my kids loved it! It’s that good.

But it’s also more than just that. Wreck-it Ralph is a fantastic Reel Parable.

I want to share with you the “movie bible study” that I shared with my kids after seeing Wreck-it Ralph.

We talked about two distinct topics:

Community
The world (fall, salvation, and redemption)

Today, let’s talk about community. We will start “the World” next time and spend a few weeks on it. Yes, it’s that good and detailed!

Admittedly, a community is a common idea that can hard to describe. For now, we are going to describe a community as a place where we belong and are a part of.

For most of us, the first community we experience is our family. Then comes work, school, sports, etc.

I find it interesting how two people who have never met are part of a community just because of something they have in common – think sports fans or music fans! We can go to a game or to a concert and “fit in” and “belong” to a group of people we don’t know, just because of a shared passion.

The same can be said (hopefully!) about the Church. We can show up to a Church where we don’t know anyone, but because of our shared passion we “fit in” and “belong.”

When talking about a community with your kids, frame it as the place where we belong.

Community

Wreck-it Ralph starts with Ralph looking for – and longing for – community.

Sure, he doesn’t want to be the “bad guy.” And he wants to be seen as a good guy. After all, without Ralph, there is no game! And it’s his name on the game – not Fix-it Felix – so he is just doing his job, right?

The reason he doesn’t want to be the bad guy is that he wants to be part of his game’s community. The other characters in the game seem to hate him and all he is doing is just doing his job.

Ralph wants to be loved, to be accepted, and to be a part of his community.

His quest for a medal – to be the winner or to be the hero – is so that he can be part of his game’s community.

It is this desire for community that starts our hero on his “hero’s journey.”

His journey actually starts out journey as we explore his – and our – world.

What About Us?

Until then think about the questions. As you watch or talk about Wreck-it Ralph look for the answers to these questions. Better yet, ask them to your kids!

Let your kids start learning what real community looks like by helping them explore Wreck-it Ralph.

Where does Ralph live? Why does he live there (in the junkyard)?
Where does Ralph want to live?
Why does Ralph want to live there (in the apartment complex)?
Why does the community in the game reject Ralph?
How does this make Ralph feel?
Why didn’t Ralph fit in?
Whose fault was it? Ralph’s or the other characters’?

Like Ralph, we are designed (programmed?) to live in a community.

Why, because even God lives in a community!

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth. Genesis 1:26

Notice the words that God uses; Us and Our.

God, as we understand the Trinity, lives in a community!

I may not know how God created man, but I do know that He made us in His image. If God lives in a community and created us in His image, then we must also need community.

If it is good enough for Him, then I guess it should be good enough for us.

Ralph needed community and we need community.

We will come back to the community at the end of this movie bible study. As with any good story, there is conflict. As we will see at the end, Ralph needed a community to overcome that conflict!

What can you and your family do THIS WEEK to help foster yoru community?

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Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith