This may sound like an overreaction, but when I watch The Muppets (2011), I believe that world peace is possible.  This goes for the movies and television shows.  Harmony between nations and people is something I pray for daily.  Sometimes I worry, though, that my entreaties are misplaced.  This has nothing to do with pessimism, though recent global events would certainly give credence to a more negative outlook.  Instead, I wonder as to whether this prayer is leaving me unprepared for the end times.  This sentiment, too, may seem like an alarmist point of view.  After all, there is 1 Thessalonians 5:2 to consider: “For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.”  Since nobody plans for a burglar, we do not have a fixed day for when the less-ominous-than-it sounds “day of the Lord” will come.  The Book of Revelation talks of signs, but people have often misinterpreted those over the centuries.  Instead, I try to stick more to Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely.”  Part of this means relying on a community.  The people in it, while hopefully sharing similar values, will be as different as, well, The Muppets.  Thus, until the moment of Christ’s return, we can learn something from watching movies like this one.

The same can be said for brothers Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (voiced by Peter Linz), who grow up in the hilariously plainly named Smalltown as fans of The Muppets television show.  They are extremely devoted to each other, and despite Gary being a man and Walter being a Muppet (though unaware of it), they are inseparable even as adults.  This continues as Gary begins dating Mary (Amy Adams), an elementary school teacher.  For their ten-year anniversary, they are taking a trip to Los Angeles.  Not expecting to be invited along, Walter makes Gary promise to visit his dream destination: the Muppet lot and theater.  Gary surprises Walter with tickets for the three of them, meaning Walter is about to be the third wheel.  Mary had been hoping to spend some time alone with Gary, but she cautiously accepts Walter’s presence.  When they arrive at Walter’s dream place, they instead find a rundown nightmare that has been abandoned by the Muppets.  Nonetheless, Walter cannot resist sneaking away from the tour and into Kermit the Frog’s (voiced by Steve Whitmire) old office.  Because he knows he is not supposed to be there, he hides when others enter the room.  In walks Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who tells Muppet representatives, the curmudgeonly Statler (voiced by Steve Whitmire) and Waldorf (voiced by Dave Goelz), that he intends to buy the property and turn it into a Muppet museum.  This will be possible in a few days when the site’s deed runs out, unless the Muppets are able to raise ten million dollars to keep it.  With that, Statler and Waldorf leave the room.  Once they are gone, Tex tells his Muppet assistants that what he really intends to do is to demolish the place and set up an oil rig, there being a huge reserve underneath this spot.  As soon as he is able, Walter catches up with Gary and Mary and does not stop screaming for a couple hours.  Once he does, Walter tells his friends what he heard.  Together, they take to Hollywood to find Kermit and deliver the bad news.  At first, the legendary Muppet seems defeated, saying there is nothing to be done.  Yet, with a little encouragement from Walter, Kermit resolves to put on one last show to raise the money and save their name and theater.  This requires gathering all the Muppets, who have scattered to different parts of the country and globe.  Except a few of the bigger names, like Fozzie Bear (voiced by Eric Jacobson) and Gonzo (voiced by Dave Goelz), most of this is taken care of in a self-aware montage.  Still, I would be remiss if I did not, like the movie, pause on Miss Piggy (voiced by Eric Jacobson).  She has been working in Paris for some time, and Kermit and the rest drive there to convince her to come back to the show.  Because of the frog’s typical lack of commitment, she refuses, preferring her Parisian lifestyle.  Kermit determines to carry on, but another problem looms in finding a network to host their production.  The issue is explained by television executive Veronica Martin (Rashida Jones), who tells the Muppets they are less popular than something called “Teacher Punch.”  However, when the teacher’s union suddenly sues them for putting something like that on the airwaves, she turns to the Muppets to fill the vacated slot.  As they are preparing for a major program in a few days’ time, Gary and Walter throw all their energy into helping.  Mary goes along with this for a little while, but eventually seeing all the attractions around town on her own gets to her.  At the same time, Walter is asked to do a number for the show, and needs Walter’s help to come up with something.  Caught between the two, Gary chooses to return to Smalltown and Mary.  For Kermit, his dilemma is finding a celebrity host.  When Miss Piggy finally decides to show up, she leads them to kidnap Jack Black (as himself) for the role.  With everything relatively in place, the Muppets Show begins.  At first, there is nobody in the crowd, aside from Hobo Joe (Zach Galifianakis), and a few others like him.  The Muppets carry on despite the small audience, and slowly people begin tuning in and donating money.  As this gains momentum, Tex attempts to shut it down.  Though he is foiled a few times, he is successful at the last second with the Muppets seemingly a dollar away from their goal.  With the phone lines cut, it is also revealed that there had been a miscalculation, and the Muppets are well short of their target.  Things are turned around completely when they go outside and find a large group of people gathered at the studio.  Tex decides to give the Muppets back their theater, Gary asks Mary to marry him, and the film ends.

Like other sequences in the film, The Muppets concludes with a musical number.  They all strike a hopeful tone, and this aligns with Walter’s attitude and what I had been discussing in the introduction: as long as there are Muppets, there is still hope.  It is a major reason why I enjoy this movie, particularly because of my Catholic Faith.  Romans 15:13 says it all: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.”  Yet, like anything in life, there are ups and downs.  Walter’s arc is a great metaphor for this idea.  He is hopeful when visiting the Muppet studio and theater that he will see Kermit or one of the others.  It is his positivity that gets Kermit to assemble the Muppets for the show.  At the same time, he has his doubts as to his abilities when he is called upon to provide entertainment.  When he does, with a last-minute visit from Gary and Mary, Gary reminds his brother that sooner or later you have to believe in yourself because “that’s what growing up is.”  The Faith life can follow a similar pattern.  I recall first going to Charismatic prayer meetings, eventually falling in love with that format, and placing those who hosted those nights on somewhat of a pedestal.  As I grew in that form of prayer, so too did my Faith.  It was helped by getting to know those same people and being encouraged by them.  Being around them, and in my own conversations with God, I came to learn that I had some of those gifts I had seen others blessed with, like counsel and speaking in tongues.  In that setting, I was given the opportunity to let God’s graces shine through me, and now I am more open to sharing them with others.  This is a lesson Walter learns about himself.  Although it is evident to anyone with eyes, he is a Muppet.  We are God’s children, and I hope you come to accept this fact and find the supportive community that is the Catholic Church.

What The Muppets and your local parish have in common is inclusivity.  I assure you that however you speak to God, whatever talents you have to offer like Walter, the Church has a home for you.  Watching a movie like this one can be a good reminder of these facts.