A True Christian
Olaf may be a little ADHD--okay, a lot ADHD--and he might be a fanciful dreamer, but this funny little snowman also has a lot to teach us about living a faith-based life. Far more than just being comic relief, Olaf functions as an emotional compass for the other characters, even when various forms of darkness threaten to swallow them all. Here are some examples:
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
No matter what happens, Olaf is JOYFUL. "Joyful" here doesn't mean merely happy or carefree, but greeting life with permanent joy that cannot be shaken by negative events. Even the simple beauty of a sunrise moves him; he says, "Look, Sven, the sky's awake!"
Olaf's actions and mindset are both based in trust; his quixotic spirit also applies here. Even when Anna accidentally kicks his head off and it gets put on upside down, he's only confused, not despondent...and as soon as his head's set right, he's joyful again: "There, now I'm perfect!" This childlike, innocent-yet-wise perspective on life calls to mind Jesus' words in Matthew 18:2-4: "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven."
Matthew 6:31-33
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
One of the things Olaf does NOT do is worry. Even when he's melting before the fire, trying to get Anna warm, he believes all will be well; even when Anna approaches Elsa's ice castle with fear, Olaf's advice is to "just knock." Worry is simply not part of his worldview.
His first response when the giant snow monster comes charging at Anna and Kristoff is to say, "I'll distract him, you guys go ahead." This is simple, unsung courage, utterly without worry--he doesn't know whether he'll survive the snow monster's attack, but his first thought is to protect Anna and Kristoff. Later, he uses his nose to unlock the chamber where Anna lies freezing, and proceeds to save her life at the possible expense of his own, proving that his lack of worry frees him up to act quickly and cleverly.
And, as seen in the above screenshot, he doesn't even really worry when Arendelle's summer returns at last and he begins to melt in earnest. He simply says, "Hands down, this is the best day of my life...and possibly the last," knowing and trusting in Elsa's benevolent power to restore him, just as she had the power to create him.
Galatians 5:22-23a
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
Olaf's gentle, kind lesson to Anna about love is only one of the times where he shows these qualities:
- He forbears to take Anna away from the fire, practicing a kind of self-control even as he is melting;
- He is faithful to the cause of helping Anna and Kristoff find Elsa;
- He demonstrates joy always, as noted above;
- His very presence seems to provide restful peace and assurance to the other characters (especially Elsa, his creator)
What This All Means
Though Olaf might not have been created as an overtly Christian character, I find that he exemplifies many of the key values of Christianity--the fruits of the Spirit, simple, active faith, and childlike trust. Not only are these traits a part of his character, but they form the bedrock of his heroic actions!
