Willy Wonka Christianity

This is a new series I am writing about my observations of the Church, not a particular congregation but our Western Church, The believers professing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Church, we are supposed to be growing more and more into the image of Christ, but instead, as I look around us I see us becoming more and more like the children from the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder in the titular role.

I grew up with this movie, the Oompa Loompas singing moral and cautionary songs about the problems of the impetuous children instilled a fear deep down that if I were to ever get a chance to visit a chocolate factory, I was pretty sure I would turn down the offer.

Round the world and home again
That’s the sailor’s way
Faster faster, faster faster

There’s no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going
There’s no knowing where we’re rowing
Or which way the river’s flowing

Is it raining, is it snowing
Is a hurricane a-blowing

Not a speck of light is showing
So the danger must be growing
Are the fires of Hell a-glowing
Is the grisly reaper mowing

Yes, the danger must be growing
For the rowers keep on rowing
And they’re certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing

Willy Wonka Boat Speech – 1971

This speech given accompanied by a cacophony of visual images was the scariest movie moment I can remember watching as a child. I wasn’t expecting that to be placed in the middle of a children’s movie.

As I think about the Church I think we are on that boat ride. There’s no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going. We need to return to the heavenly perspective of God. God is the only one with the moral authority to set the standards we live by, but yet we continue to put our beliefs and thoughts before the will of God.

²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. ²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NLT)

¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

Jesus Christ is the Lord of all and everything we do is as His representative. As we go through the characters of this movie I pray that you do not find yourself in any of them, but if you do I pray that you will repent and return to the Lord.

¹⁹ Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

Acts 3:19 (NLT)