Why we chose High School Musical to be the go-to movie for our current campaign:

1. If you read into it, the song, “We’re All In This Together,” is like a celebration of the body of Christ. Just take these lyrics as a case in point: Everyone is special in their own way/We make each other strong/We’re not the same/We’re different in a good way/Together’s where we belong. Compare that to Romans 12:4-5. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We’re all different — we have different gifts — but we’re together and we belong to each other. That sense of belonging is huge. And by using our gifts in serving one another we make each other strong through the Holy Spirit. 

2. It’s fun and full of energy and we need some fun right now. We’ve been cooped up for months and we all have cabin fever, and from the looks of it, even though we’ve been out a little bit for a few weeks, we are going to be going back inside soon if the trend of more COVID cases continues to rise as the weather gets colder. 

3. It’s just downright cute. When I first saw this movie, I was almost embarrassed to be watching it. It’s so predictable and so corny, you can’t believe you’re watching it, but at the same time, there’s this smile that you can’t wipe off your face. At some point you realize you are being charmed by the whole thing. You even fall in love with the characters. Even though you resist, you finally give in. You can’t help it. These kids are addictive.

4. I think at some point it becomes obvious that the kids are having a lot of fun making this movie. That is borne out by the fact that they went on to make two sequels, and after the third one, they staged a sort of sentimental send-off, as if they could hardly bear the thought of not being together anymore. As actors in real time, they got close, and that shows.

I do think this happens in the body of Christ. We don’t just learn to put up with each other, we actually like each other. I think that’s something of what Paul meant when he wrote, “each member belongs to all the others.” Belonging is key. Belonging is not just being loved; it’s about being liked too. You want to see each other. You want to be together. Like I fell in love in a small way with the cast of High School Musical, I’m falling in love with you. We are meeting on Zoom, on Facebook, even in emails and we are taking on virtual, but nonetheless real, relationships. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s time to climb on board and join us in one of our online gatherings. 

In the words of a song by Jon Byron, We are the family of God, yes, we are the family of God, and He brought us together to be one in Him that we might bring light to the world.