Purpose and Other Thoughts: a Look at Sallly

So last week, I wrote about Jack and how the way he responded in awe to Christmas is how God wants us to respond to his creation and relying on our own strength ends in disaster. Now I would like to talk about the second character that really stands out in this movie.

Sally is a Frankenstein-like character created by Dr. Finkelstein. There are two things that we can learn and relate to with Sally. The first item is our human nature and what it looks like. Throughout the movie she continually sneaks out and disobeys Dr. Finkelstein. She knows that there is something more out there for her, but doesn't quite know how to get there. Dr. Finkelstein constantly tells her she is not ready and to be patient. This can be taken a myriad of ways. First, it shows how our nature is as humans. We are selfish creatures and rebels. We often think we know what we need better than anyone else, and don't even keep our creator in mind when we make decisions. We sometimes even try to outrun and "escape" from God like Sally does with Dr. Finkelstein. Now the other aspect of this is the fact that Sally did know that there is something bigger out there, that there is a purpose that she existed. We finds ourselves searching for our creator, God, and we often do not realize this is want we are doing. We long for a purpose and a place to belong, somewhere to leave our mark and make a difference. This is clearly shown as Sally escapes her confinement and looks for Jack. She questions why she is there and just what it is that she is supposed to do. It's super cool because in Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) it says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart," which is what Sally shows us.

The second thing we can learn from Sally is her unwavering heart and humility. She is one character that seems to be overlooked a lot of the time. The focus is usually on Jack and Oogie Boogie, but Sally is that one quiet character that just seems to be doing her own thing. Sure, we all ship Jack and Sally together, but other than that, it just doesn't seem like she has much presence throughout the movie. This is one of the best examples of what humility is supposed to look like. I have heard it humility defined this way: it is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. It means that people see more of Jesus when they look at you. It's really cool that Sally shows this. It says in Proverbs 11:2 (NLT), "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Sally is like the antithesis to Jack's pride that we looked at last week. Just like the verse says, Jack's pride led him to a disgraceful end, but Sally knew that something seemed wrong. She had wisdom that she otherwise wouldn't have had if not for being humble. I also think it's amazing how Sally chose to do what was right, even if she didn't know how it would end for her or what it looked like to obey. She went to save Santa Claus, not thinking of herself but of Jack. The love she showed really is a good example of unconditional love; loving someone no matter how they act or what they do. So next time you watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, I suggest you pay more attention to this hidden gem, and see what else you can learn.

-Mysterious ShieldMaiden