Happily Ever After???

by Dina Sleiman

Don't  you just love a good happily ever after? The handsome prince on his gallant steed sweeps you away and carries you off to his castle to live in wealthy, romantic, unadulterated bliss. Sigh. Too bad happily ever afters only exist in fairy tales. And even in those, they're questionable. I mean, you must first be a scullery maid, poisoned by your step mother, forced to marry an evil sorcerer, or tricked by a sea witch. Not fun stuff.

But how happy are those ever afters anyway? I mean in the movies, we never see past the wedding scene.  Let's face it, real life is just that. Real. Imperfect. Human. I do know a few women who will swear they've found their prince charmings, but I think that can be credited more to their own good attitudes, loving hearts, and reasonable expectations than to the actual existence of fairy tale heroes.

Part of me likes those alternative versions of fairy tales where the princesses fight off the bad guys. A girl needs to stand up for herself and take charge, right? Female empowerment, women's lib, and all that. But somehow I don't think that's quite the answer either. I've been learning for the last few years that I can, in fact, do nothing in my own strength. Only in my weakness can Christ's strength be revealed.

So I spent some time pondering these legendary women. Cinderella, despite her awful circumstances, found contentment. She whistled while she worked and discovered joy all around her, never stooping to the level of her nasty step-sisters. Wouldn't it make sense that God would send her a gift--in this case a fairy godmother complete with ball gown, carriage, and glass slippers--to release her into her destiny.

Snow White loved the unloveable. She lived with the outcasts of society. Seven dwarves with some serious personality issues. Let's overlook for a moment the misogynist message that she found happiness cooking and cleaning for these men. The truth is, she nurtured them and brought light into their lives in true Christ-like fashion. So when the enemy tried to kill her, little wonder that God would send a handsome prince with a healing kiss.

Princess Jasmine left a palatial paradise to go out and see the real world. She fell in love with the lowliest of peasant boys. It's only right that after laying down her pride and her royalty to embrace her humanity that she would reap a blessing in return. That this young man would find the miraculous means to save her from a life enslaved by an evil wizard, and that said hero would marry her.

And the Little Mermaid. A girl who put aside her prejudice and chose to build bridges with her mortal enemy. Okay, she had some rebellion issues, which got her into a real...kettle of fish. Ha, ha. Sorry, couldn't resist. But thanks to a Christ figure who offered his own life, she was saved. Or, in the Broadway version, Ariel herself took back what had been stolen and broke the power of the enemy.

Does any of this sound familiar? It seems like the fairy tales actually got a few things right. Maybe in the end, these stories aren't as much about our quest for romance, as mankind's spiritual quest for the lover of our souls. The Prince of Peace who will never leave us or forsake us. While we may have sorrows in this world, we can be of good cheer, for he has overcome the world.

And...an eternal happily ever after awaits all those he loves.

So these are some of my crazy thoughts on fairy tales. Feel free to disagree or add your own spiritual takes on your favorite childhood stories.