This is our Laura Carrot moment.
Will we bow and sing The Bunny Song or trust that God made us special and He loves us very much?
The problem with being a Veggie Tales kid in the 90s is that the part of my brain which should be remembering applicable scriptures for what is happening in the word is already full of Silly Songs with Larry. I can’t tell you where in the Bible it says that we are not to worship idols (outside of the 10 commandments) but I can tell you with all certainty that a Cebu is a bull’s cousin and is not the recommended choice for communicating eminent danger.
The other problem with being a Veggie Tales kid in the 90s is that I took it seriously.
I took it seriously when those vegetables without feet marched around the wall of Jericho, while purple slushies were being hurled at them by French peas, to show that God’s way doesn’t always make sense but it’s always worth following.
I took it seriously when Jimmy and Jerry Gourd explained that calling people names because they’re different is wrong and that God wants us to even take it one step further to consider all people, including those from very different places, as neighbors that we show love to with our actions.
I took it seriously when Esther confronted the voices of fear and insecurity to bravely live in a way that chooses to do what’s right.
And the one I’ve been thinking about this week: I took it seriously when Rack, Shack and Benny refused to worship a large chocolate bunny just because their leader had convinced most of the people around them to do it.
In case you aren’t familiar with this cartoon lore: Rack, Shack and Benny (played by Bob the Tomato, Junior Asparagus and Larry the Cucumber) are the children’s version of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Old Testament story in Daniel:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT
In Rack, Shack and Benny’s case, they were also thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down and sing The Bunny Song, as demanded by Mr. Nezzer.
The moral of the story is obviously to stay away from idol worship because nothing and no one deserves our love, affection or devotion more than the God who loved us so much He chose to create us will the option to not love Him back. According to the Veggie Tales wikipedia page, it’s also to remember that just because everyone else is doing the same thing, it doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do. A good lesson even now as there are many Christians being deceived to follow things that do not even remotely look like Christ.
Who I’m stuck on in this story, though, is Laura Carrot. She went along with the others for a while, working at the factory and doing what she was commanded to do. Even bowing and singing the song because she didn’t want to face the consequences of what would happen if she stood up to leadership. Laura wrestled internally with what she believed and how she acted but in her own revelatory moment, where the cognitive dissonance could be withstood no longer, she chose to stand up for what’s right and help her friends.
See, Laura had a different lesson to learn. Hers was that even if someone in power is pressuring you to do something you know is wrong or uncomfortable, you can stand firm and do what is right because God will be with you.
This week, the president released an AI video of “Trump’s Gaza,” and what it would look like after he levels it and rebuilds it into something new. One of the many indulgent and idolizing images was a towering, golden statue of himself in center city. Followed by a shot of tiny, little golden gods lined up on rows and rows shelves, like shrine items ready to be purchased and brought into people’s homes. (You can fact check this on his personal social media account.)
Do you see the parallel here without me over explaining it?
The giant bunny as Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue in Babylon.
The AI golden statue in a reimagined Gaza.
The golden calf the Israelites constructed waiting on Moses.
The battle of Elijah and Baal that ended with holy fire.
The rich young ruler who wouldn’t give up his riches to follow Christ’s way.
I keep thinking about the way Jesus described his kingdom as yeast that a woman worked through her dough, as treasure in a field, as a net that collects fish, as the owner of a house bringing forth the new and the old. It’s complex and described differently in different contexts. You can read about all of them by Googling “The kingdom of heaven is like” but spoiler alert, it’s never like power or rulership or control.
Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.”
Luke 17:21 MSG
Other translations say that God’s kingdom is within you. It’s here and it’s not. It’s visible and hidden. It’s now and not yet. (How bizarre it is to be a Christian who can believe two seemingly opposing things at once.)
What I’m holding onto is this: Jesus is King. periodt. (not a typo, the T adds emphasis. try it.) And we get to take that seriously, whether or not the people around us do. For many of you, this is the first time you’ve been faced with the inner wrestling of not supporting what someone you put into office is doing. For others of you, it’s the first time you’ve felt a pull to do something or use your voice to speak out. For still others, it’s the first time you’re seeing how church and state are actually in bed together. Welcome to your advocacy era. This is your Laura Carrot moment. And there are so many of us here, not judging your timeline or your choices, just ready to scoop you up as you say “Nobody bakes my buddies!!!!”
You were taught to stand up for what you believe in. Take it seriously.
You were taught that God wants you to do what’s right. That hasn’t changed.
You get to choose who you follow unabashedly and whose behaviors you will or will not justify to calm your own cognitive dissonance. You get to live in a way that glorifies the kingdoms of this world or the kingdom of God that is within you. You get to decide whether or not you will sing The Bunny Song, bow to a king that is not Jesus (be it literally or figuratively), or reach out a hand to help the people who don’t know that they have an option.
Is the most childish, basic explanation of scripture what we need to spur us on in our quest to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God? Then grab the DVD player, some Gushers and the Dunkaroos. Throw on your pajama pants and ginormous t-shirts. Slip your feet in those Steve Madden slides that work as slippers just as well as for church, and meet me in the backyard. We’re throwing Veggie Tales up on the side of the house and going back to the basics.
Because God made us special and He loves us very much.
p.s. I recognize that after this video of a “new Gaza” came out, the interview in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy redirected news outlets and eyeballs, immediately rendering this story as old. I just cannot keep up, friends. It’s exhausting. Praying this speaks to you however you need it today or this week.
p.p.s. In a more evergreen, not so time specific moment, here are the reflection questions for this week’s episode of Becoming Church with Joash Thomas on the justice of Jesus.
