![\"Reading](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/429\/2014\/09\/IMG_20140925_075742.jpg\")
<\/a>As a parent dedicated to mimetic theory<\/a>, I know that the stories we tell our children pattern them in certain ways. Children have a remarkable capacity to learn not only reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also how to relate to others. Stories are particularly influential tools that teach children how to do just that. Of course, their learning potential can be patterned in relating to others in violent ways or in nonviolent and loving ways. And like so many parents who want to foster a strong sense of compassion in their children, especially compassion for their enemies<\/em>, I struggle to find children\u2019s books that tell compelling stories about compassion and reconciliation.<\/p>\n Children\u2019s stories typically follow the same pattern as every other story. There\u2019s a conflict. The conflict leads to the formation of good guys and bad guys. The good guys work together and, after dramatically losing to the bad guys on multiple occasions, end up winning the day. The bad guys are either killed or expelled and peace is restored.<\/p>\n If you read ancient myths<\/a>, you will discover that the same story of violence has been told since the beginning of human culture. Human history has seen an eternal return to violence and wars where good battles evil in the hopes to restore peace. And then we mythologize our violence through heroic stories of \u201cgood versus evil\u201d that we tell to our children. But achieving peace through violent means never leads to lasting peace. If there\u2019s one thing we should learn about the eternal return to violence in mythical stories, it\u2019s that violence leads to more violence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n But what if we told a different story to our children? What if we told stories about conflict that didn\u2019t end up with killing or expelling the bad guys, but rather ended with relationships being transformed and reconciled? Maybe our children would be patterned in a way that seeks compassion for and reconciliation with our enemies.<\/p>\n Oh the drama!<\/p>\n Of course, in the end Mickey and his team of superhero good guys win the day. But as Megamort attempts to make his escape, his plane springs a leak and zooms out of control. That\u2019s when the ancient script of violence is flipped on its head and a new script of compassion and reconciliation emerges:<\/p>\n \u201cMegamort needs our help!\u201d shouts Mickey.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s a villain,\u201d says Goofy.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe still needs saving,\u201d says Mickey.<\/em><\/p>\n Despite Goofy\u2019s objection, Mickey and his friends safely bring the plane down and Megamort is transformed by their act of compassion.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter all I did, I can\u2019t believe you rescued me,\u201d he says. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Mr. Megamort,\u201d says Goofy.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really Mortimer Mouse,\u201d Megamort reveals. \u201cI\u2019m your new neighbor\u2026I thought that if I took what you had, I\u2019d be happy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe Clubhouse is all about having friends,\u201d says Mickey.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just it,\u201d Mortimer admits. \u201cI don\u2019t have any friends.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou do now,\u201d says Goofy.<\/em><\/p>\n This children\u2019s story is revelatory for two reasons. First, the main principle of mimetic theory claims that we \u201cdesire according to the desire of another.\u201d <\/strong>In other words, we really do try to \u201ckeep up with the Jones\u2019<\/a>.\u201d As with Mortimer Mouse, we tend to think that if just had what our neighbors have that we would then be happy. But as this story clearly shows, the mimetic aspect of desire more often leads to conflict and resentment than to happiness. That\u2019s why the 10th<\/sup> Commandment<\/a> warns us against coveting our neighbors stuff \u2013 it knows that our natural inclination is to desire according to the desires of another! Of course, underneath it all, it\u2019s never really about our neighbor\u2019s stuff. Like Mortimer, what we really desire is friendship, love, and acceptance. That\u2019s why the Bible says, \u201cYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.<\/a>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The second aspect of the story that\u2019s revelatory is that the conflict ensuing from \u201cdesiring according to the desires of another\u201d often leads to the eternal return of conflict and violence, but it doesn\u2019t have to. We aren\u2019t enslaved to violence. We do have options. For example, Goofy suggests that Megamort should suffer the deathly consequences of his evil actions when he protests rescuing him from his demise by stating, \u201cBut he\u2019s a villain.\u201d Fortunately, Mickey provides a refreshing alternative of compassion by saving the villain.<\/p>\n Mickey models an alternative desire to the desire of mythical violence. It\u2019s a desire that transforms us from wanting to kill or exclude our enemies to wanting to bless them and to reconcile with them.<\/strong> It\u2019s the same alternative that we see developing in the Judeo-Christians Story. From Abraham and Sarah, who are called by God to be a blessing to \u201call the families of the earth<\/a>,\u201d to Jesus who forgives his enemies<\/a> who crucified him and who reconciles \u201cthe world to himself, [by] not counting their sins against them<\/a>,\u201d we see that God sends us on a mission of blessing and reconciliation with everyone, but especially with those we call our enemies.<\/p>\n I\u2019m glad to tell that divine story of reconciliation to my children wherever I can find it, even when it comes from Mickey Mouse.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a parent dedicated to mimetic theory, I know that the stories we tell our children pattern them in certain ways. Children have a remarkable capacity to learn not only reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also how to relate to others. Stories are particularly influential tools that teach children how to do just that. Of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[245,429,387,263,107,430,129,214,145,328,205],"class_list":["post-1911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abraham","tag-book-review","tag-conflict","tag-desire","tag-jesus","tag-mickey-mouse","tag-mimetic-theory","tag-parenting","tag-peace","tag-reconciliation","tag-violence"],"yoast_head":"\nMythical Stories and the Eternal Return<\/h3>\n
Mickey\u2019s Alternative<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Yesterday, my second child brought home a book called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Super Adventures!<\/a><\/em> As I began reading it to him, I couldn\u2019t help but feel a twinge of parental angst as the story followed the same violent pattern as nearly every other story. Mickey and his friends turn into superheroes and unite to save the day from the evil villain Megamort, who wants to steal Mickey\u2019s clubhouse by shrinking it with his shrink ray.<\/p>\n