Lent #20: “Saving Mr. Banks”

Christ suffered for our sins.

(First Peter 3:18)

To my surprise, there was something Lenten about that movie, “Saving Mr. Banks,” our family watched virtually together. It’s a movie about the making of Mary Poppins; and, in particular, the fuss that Walt Disney had with the author, Pamela Travers.

As the film unfolds, we discover her fantasy story, came out of her real life childhood relationship with her father. As a child she loves and idealizes her father, but gradually becomes aware that her father is a flawed man. She’s looking for the Disney movie to treat Mr. Banks, the father of the children in Mary Poppins, tenderly. Which gets us to the movie scene when Walt Disney discerns that the fantasy isn’t really about the children; but about the father, Mr. Banks. Thus the title: “Saving, Mr. Banks.”

It’s a gospel story of sin and redemption. In life, we discover that every relationship disappoints—falls short of the Glory. We are in need of redemption. Lent is about how Jesus suffered for our salvation. Christ bore our suffering in order to heal our relationship with our Creator, with ourselves, and with one another.

Fantasy, good fantasy like Mary Poppins, has a way of pointing us in a gospel direction. Notice how the opening poem speaks of a salvation that comes to us from beyond—something brewing that will bring salvation not only to Mr. Banks, but “to the whole household” (Ac 11:14):

Winds in the east,

Mist coming in;

Like something is brewing,

About to begin.

Can’t put my finger

On what lies in store;

But I feel what’s to happen,

All happened before.