A Very Late, Likely Inadequate Response to the Bullhorn Guy Who Said We Were Heading to Hell for Going to Disneyland

As we joined a throng of people walking from various Anaheim hotels to Disneyland, there was a guy with a sign and a bullhorn. He was…not preaching, but pontificating at every passerby; telling them that they did not need fairies, princesses, and heroes, they needed Jesus. By going to this land of imagination we were being an affront to God. And he informed us that we—hundreds of people he’d never met—were going to hell for partaking in what the Mouse had to offer that day. A few people snapped at him and he snapped back.

Despite having a litany of reasons for why he was wrong, I didn’t say anything because I am a conflict-averse person and I can’t imagine a worse start for your kids’ day at Disneyland than their dad getting into a theological argument with a stranger when the park is just a few hundred feet away. I reminded our sons that his yelling and condemnation was not what our faith in Jesus was about. Then we went on to have a lovely day at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Yet over a month later, I wonder what I would have said to him had I stopped. Granted, the best means of communication would be a two-way dialogue although people who have a bullhorn are typically not interested in a conversation (which is a pity, because it is actually quite fun to have conversations with people while you are using a bullhorn).

The first thing that I probably would have told him is that I appreciate the fact that he is a well-meaning person. I genuinely think that he was. His methods and reasoning were not sound, but I do think in his heart that he was trying to help people. It’s just that he was likely hurting people and likely pushing them further away from the very thing to which he wanted to draw them. “Well-meaning people who unintentionally hurt others” could be an unofficial slogan for the white American church. I know because I have been on both sides of that exchange.

I think that the main thing that I would have told him is that this place that he perceives as an abomination to God is actually something that has been a boon to my faith. I grew up enmeshed in a home that taught me from birth that Jesus loves me and also taught me that imagination was one of the greatest gifts that God gave us. Our family loved stories, movies, books, music, and whatever else that created a spark within us. Whether it was a Bible story or a pop song or a vignette on Sesame Street or a Disney movie, if it was good then it pointed towards God; even if that pointing was indirect.

And the Disney parks are sort of where that love of imagination reached its zenith. My dad grew up around carnivals and has this childlike curiosity about amusement parks. Disney World was a place where imagination was not just on a television screen, but a world that you got to be in. I still remember going to the park as a kid—holding my Mom’s hand as we walked toward a castle, sitting on my Dad’s shoulder watching the Electric Light Parade, bouncing with my brother and sister to music—and there being a sense of awe. Look at all the cool, imaginative things that we can do.

So it was a place of imagination and joy. Again, I was taught from as early as I can remember that those were gifts from God. I grew up holding tight to the idea that imagination and joy are essential elements of our faith. They are not the only aspects, but I think they are important and unfortunately often overlooked. What other reaction is there to creation, creativity, and God’s great love for us than joy? What is creation but the ultimate expression of imagination? And if we’re made in God’s image then shouldn’t our imaginations get to run wild in whatever ways God has gifted us?

I would probably also tell Bullhorn Guy that when I went through one of the most difficult seasons of my life, we had scheduled a trip to Disney World a few weeks after things crashed around us. And that trip brought my family joy when there was not an abundance of it to be found. It was our sons’ first trip there and they loved it so much that they wanted to start a podcast to talk about it. So each week I get to connect and have fun with my two sons over something we love. That too has been a blessing (and sometimes a headache because editing the ramblings of a 41, 14, and 11 year old can be difficult some weeks).

So when we were getting ready to walk in to Disneyland for the first time ever, I was thinking about imagination, joy, and family. And I was thinking about how grateful I am that I have gotten to experience those things. Gratitude is likely one of the quickest ways we can get to God.

There probably wasn't a way to convey that to Bullhorn Guy as tons of people were passing by and my sons were begging to go on Indiana Jones Adventure. But I feel sad that he can look at something that makes people genuinely happy as a threat. Yeah, Disney is a huge corporation and there are definitely issues with that, but that wasn’t his target. I think at the end of the day, I wish I could tell him that the good in this world is God’s good. And I hope he’ll find the space for holy joy and imagination in his life.