In the Gospel of Matthew, the Greek word ecclesia is typically translated as "church," but as I've explained before, the word refers to a group of people who come together around a shared experience or shared beliefs and journey together. The shared experience or mythos may be one of the reasons that Universal Studios doesn't command the same kind of magical reactions as Disney; these characters and stories have become an important part of many of our lives from childhood, entertaining us, morally edifying us, and encouraging us to dream, to love, to be heroic. Jiminy Cricket and Snow White and Simba the Lion and Cinderella and Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast: these are stories that have shaped us, and when we come together at Disney, wherever we come from, we temporarily become a sort of faithful community gathered around these shared narratives, images, and experiences.
And that is what the Church is, at its best—a gathering of people centered around our sacred stories, around our common quest to seek the will of God, around ritual and action. Our sacred ecclesias could learn from Disney, which brings together more diverse communities than any of our churches, throws them together in ways that ought to involve United Nations peacekeeping forces, and nonetheless provides almost every single guest, couple, or family with one of the most memorable experiences of their lives.
Perhaps if in our faith communities we paid attention to our shared stories, to the sense of joy and wonder, and to the beauty of each moment as well as we are encouraged to do in Disney World, we would all be better off.
May we all learn such spiritual lessons this summer, and until next time—when I write from Wales—may God bless you and hold you in the palm of her hand.
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