Disney at 100
Last week Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary! On 16 October 1923 Walt, and his older brother, Roy, signed a deal to produce short films for a distributor in New York, USA.
Since that time, Walt Disney Studios has become a global phenomenon! One report said, ‘The company has shaped the very nature of entertainment through its movies, theme parks that have become vacation destinations, merchandising strategies and television networks.’
I suspect most people alive today know of something Disney! It’s multitude of characters are loved all over the world and can be spotted on every kind of product you can think of!
My first Disney memory was watching their cartoons on television and seeing their films at the cinema. I have very happy memories of watching the Herbie films. That delightful 1963 Volkswagen Beetle car (number 53) with a mind of his own and capable of driving himself.
For our honeymoon, we went to Florida and spent two weeks enjoying Disney World. We had a fabulous time in the various theme parks and even had breakfast with Micky Mouse!
Walt Disney was a genius. He was full of creativity and a true visionary, who saw many of his ideas become reality. His desire was to create wholesome entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.
I suspect that he was a perfectionist, with an eye for detail, and he cared passionately about his product, viewers, customers and guests. It seems to me that his core values have lasted these 100 years and are still as strong as ever!
Pondering this reminded me of something written about Jesus in the Bible…
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.”
In our rapidly changing world, I think it’s good to have some ‘anchors’. For me, and thousands of other Christians, Jesus is that anchor.
This short verse declares that Jesus is unchanging! I think this refers to his core values: his character and nature.
To discover what they are, take a look in the first four books of the New Testament. These ‘Gospels’, or eye-witness accounts, reveal who Jesus was and how he interacted with people.
Jesus was, is and will always be the same. His core values have lasted more than 100 years and will go on into eternity.
If you are looking for stability, or an anchor, in your life, then let me encourage you to investigate one far greater than Mr Disney… Jesus!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader