The Meaning of that funny Squirrel in Ice Age

Comic Relief characters are almost always present in every film that has been created. Writers have probably seen the value in them making the movie more catchy and entertaining to the viewers. Even in books and their movie adaptations, authors and directors has found a way to sneak in a character in the plot that provides laughter to the audience. These characters are often successful in what they do – making the viewers smile. It somehow lessens the seriousness of the whole movie and makes it more entertaining.

One movie in particular contained a comic relief character that was really successful in making this happen. Viewers in the cinema burst out in laughter every time this character comes up and its role never bored anyone. Unlike many comic relief characters, only a few (almost nobody) people know of his name, but I’m pretty sure everyone who was able to see at least one Ice Age film is familiar with him. The creators of the film name him as “Scrat”; he is that funny little “Saber-toothed Squirrel” who often puts his life in danger for the sake of a single acorn that he was never able to eat.

"ACORN!!!" - Scrat the Squirrel

Many viewers see Scrat as a very funny character. He has his own separate storyline from the main plot progressing. It’s a very simple one actually, his story is all about his pursuit to get his acorn to either bury it or carry it around, but fate always finds its way to separate the acorn from his arms. With his determination to take hold of that acorn again, he goes through a lot of dangers and often risks his life for the sake of him being reunited with it again.

For some of you people who have read my previous blog entry regarding mosquitoes (Mosquitoes as Models for Love), you’ve probably realized that I tend to over-think things, thus resulting to weird and sometimes non-sense analysis of ordinary things and instances in life. So you’ve probably guessed what I was able to find out through this harmless little saber-toothed squirrel from a movie. Yes, it is all about love (again). Oh joy.

It never does.

This entry would again be talking about love… but a special kind of love. It’s the love with a capital “L”. So it’s Love, and NOT love (get it?). So going back to the squirrel, many people may or may not consider this analysis as valid, but who cares? I did say that everything in this blog will be about ME and what goes on in my head, didn’t I?

So where am I getting at
with the squirrel thing?

I come to realize in one of my random reflections that Scrat the Squirrel and the acorn can be somehow related to the life of a Christian and the Love of God for humanity.

How?

We are the acorns and God is the squirrel. We often separate ourselves from God and not minding His efforts to reach us all the time. We fall to sin, temptations and bad habits, but God always do His efforts to reach us, just as the Scrat the Squirrel never let go and always reaches for his acorn. Sometimes, we do take refuge to God’s arms and stays there for some time, but oftentimes, we fall back to our old ways and disunite with Him again; and just like the squirrel, He comes for us again… and again… and again. This is how the Love of God works. He Loves us so much that He is willing to sacrifice anything to get us back. Hence, the Mystery of Incarnation.

I don’t want to get too theological on this entry, but I just want to make my point and realization across that a valid analogy exist within the acorn and Scrat the squirrel. Again, we are acorns, frequently separating from God, and God, with all his might, would be willing to exert every effort to get us back.

The question lies: are we doing OUR own efforts to get back to Him? Or are we just going to fall to our old and sinful ways, separated from Him and no effort to get back just like an acorn?

It’s your choice… be human, or be an acorn.