The Beneficence of Maleficent

There’s some good in everyone, definitely, and if you doubt the scriptures or yourself, perhaps Disney’s remake of the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” movie titled Maleficent might help… Cast on the premise of an oxymoron; a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction, the beneficence of Maleficent, was the unbelievable twist to this movie which starred famous actress Angelina Jolie as Maleficent and at her best. Displayed as an evil and bitter witch, the two hornlike projections on her head gave her a frightening look. She did not smile much, she was full of gall, surly, and everything around her sullen.

But beneath this horror was a reason; Betrayal. Being betrayed by her young found love; a peasant boy she met, terrified in the woods many years ago. His ambitions offered his conscience no room for candor, and this peasant boy [now vying to be king] betrayed Maleficent – the love of his life. The painful experience having brewed a fountain of bitterness in her, made her vow never to be amiable or lovely again. Dimming the beams of joy within her, the once buoyant lady became Maleficent – dark, evil and gloomy.

Vengefully she took captive her betrayers daughter as a retribution to harm her for the treachery and pain he caused her. And wouldn’t we all love to hit that person back or make them suffer like they made us? But then, a vicious cycle of bitterness will ensue. Paradoxically, beneficence (goodness) began to grow in her even in the midst of the greatest bitterness – and that is my message for you today; “There’s some Beneficence in everybody’s Maleficence.”

There’s some good in everyone, even in your worst bitterness. And like Maleficent, beneath that horror there may be a story of hurt, abuse, pain, mistrust, and wrongdoing by those you trusted most, by those you loved the most, and that’s what makes it so painful. But like her, in the midst of the revenge, she found a small glow of goodness still in her heart, and I believe you still have yours. It was there before the pain came, it was there before the bitterness formed, and if you will let God touch your heart with His love again, the pain will give way and a beam of goodness will emerge.

Release those petals of beneficence, push away the thorns of pain and bitterness, they only hurt us more. While letting go may not make you best friends again, it sure does give you a clear horizon to sail on with all goodness and peace. Go ahead, let it go, forgive, lose the pain, there’s some good in you. There’s definitely an oxymoronic show of beneficence in that maleficent situation waiting for you to exhale. Do it now, take the step and let it go!

Photo Credit: Google, Walt Disney