Zootopia is one of the most on point, accurate to our times animated films that I have ever seen. It’s quite impressive how well it hits on the issues in the news- race, prejudice, fear-driven politics, even integrity of policeman. I don’t know how on purpose this film was, but it was incredibly on time.
The film is all about animals who have moved beyond their primitive instincts of being prey or a predator and are living in cities and taking jobs. Judy is a bunny who breaks out of her family traditions and expectations of farming to become a cop. She moves to the big city, ready to save the world and enjoy life in a city where “anything is possible,” but soon encounters real life is not perfect, people do not always think the best of her, and awful things happen to her new friends largely because of prejudices.
The thing that stands out most about the movie is prejudice. (Well, that and the scene about the sloths that work at the DMV that is literally one of the best things I have ever seen! Check it out above!) Anyway, what happens is Judy encounters some animals acting wildly and savage, and wrongly blames their actions on their biology because of the fact that they are predators. It is highly reminiscent of similar things that happened back in Nazi Germany, during slavery, and sadly every single day as we all snap to judgments that we don’t always realize we are making and put labels and expectations on people that they don’t deserve. It hits home for Judy when she assumes the fox she has befriended is going to act viciously to her as well simply because he is a fox.
I have a lot of friends that are other races and from different backgrounds. I realize sometimes it seems like it is easy to get along with people who are different than you. But what my friends and I realized was that once you really get close, it’s not always obvious that you have assigned them expectations and limitations that you didn’t even realize that you had. And if you don’t fix your thoughts, you hurt your friends. Things you were raised to believe, taught to believe, or have experienced from others can truly color the way you see a certain race, or religion, or animal, and most of the time, it’s not to see them for the better.
The Bible taught that fixing prejudice was important and very possible, not because we ignore problems or differences, but because he provides reconciliation. Galatians 3:28 tells us “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” From the start, his command was not to separate but to love one another just like we love ourselves. Not to question one another. Not to avoid one avoid one another. Not to falsely blame each other for things they never did. Not to hate one another. But to love- no matter who, no matter from where, no matter what lies we wanted to believe about them. “I understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). And we should be the same. You don’t get to write yourself off as better than anyone else- not because of education, or gender, or nationality, or titles, or job, or biology, or race. If you’ve got the option, we should use our influence wisely. We were all created equally and with the same ability to sometimes assume wrong. And the only thing that will ever fix that is love.
John 15:12- “This is My command: love one another as I have loved you.”