A fascinating article on Christianity Today about Pixar's new film Inside Out reminds us that sadness is also a necessary (but sometimes lost) part of life. Christians put their best face forward on Sundays, even though there is often deep hurt underneath. In the movie, Joy (one of the emotions) has dominated Riley's emotions (the 11-year-old girl that the movie follows), but all that changes when she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley does what most of us do when sadness comes: She tries to push it away. But she gradually learns to accept sadness as part of her identity.

As the article says, "At the crux of Inside Out is its gentle acknowledgment of the important function of sadness in an emotionally healthy person." Even Jesus is described as "a man of sorrows." The article concludes, "The sadness of Jesus exemplifies the sadness of Christians everywhere, and through it the whole world is redeemed. For the sadness of Jesus is not an ultimate sadness: the Bible also promises the end of sadness, and the wiping away of all tears."

Source:

Ethan McCarthy, “'Inside Out' and Christian Sadness,” Christianity Today (7-20-15)