Unlocking the Secrets of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory: A Symbol of Heaven

Written By Paul McDonald

Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we celebrate easter with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Creation starts with imagination, and when you are in a situation where there appears to be no hope, you have to see a better future. We explore how the chocolate factory serves as a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven, with Willy Wonka embodying the role of the divine creator. Come with me and you’ll see a world of pure imagination as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

Quotes

  • Transformation comes from realizing a truth.

  • Creation starts with imagination.

  • Without hope, people give up.

  • When you’re in a situation where there appears to be no hope, you have to see a better future.

  • Creativity shows new possibilities.

  • Freedom means we can do what we want, but there will be consequences.

  • God desires for us to enter into the most intimate part of the Kingdom, of his heart.

  • The offer is transformational, but we expect it to be transactional.

  • He’s not giving us boundaries because he’s mean, but because he loves us.

  • I’m going to let you experience your weakness so that you can discover what this is all about.

 Themes

  • The chocolate factory as the Kingdom of Heaven

    • Charlie: poor, left out, sees the factory as a place beyond his dreams, grasp and even imagination. He needs hope.

    • Being born again feels constricting, but is bigger than anything you can imagine.

    • Contract is like giving your life away.

    • Gobstoppers represent eternity.

  • Willy Wonka as creator

    • At some point, the creator locks away the magic realm because of corruption.

    • “He mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.”

    • Is good at heart and wants to give good things to people.

    • The world longs for what the factory gives.

    • The boundaries have a purpose.

    • Transformational vs transactional

    • His plan is all about ownership.

  • Grandpa Joe—Charlie’s invitation brings him back to life. He had given up on life, had no hope. Treats Willy Wonka in a transactional way.

  • The connection between hope and imagination

Resources

  • Faith is seeing what doesn’t yet exist (Heb 11)

  • Hope deferred makes the heart sick

  • “No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” - 1 Corinthians 2:7-12 (NLT)

  • “Pure Imagination” lyrics

    Come with me and you'll be
    In a world of pure imagination
    Take a look and you'll see
    Into your imagination

    We'll begin with a spin
    Traveling in the world of my creation
    What we'll see will defy
    Explanation

    If you want to view paradise
    Simply look around and view it
    Anything you want to, do it
    Want to change the world?
    There's nothing to it

    There is no life I know
    To compare with pure imagination
    Living there, you'll be free
    If you truly wish to be

    If you want to view paradise
    Simply look around and view it
    Anything you want to, do it
    Want to change the world?
    There's nothing to it

    There is no life I know
    To compare with pure imagination
    Living there, you'll be free
    If you truly wish to be

  • “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” - G.K. Chesterton

  • “Into Faith I Go” by Pat Barrett

    Nobody said this would be easy
    Anyone who did never went through anything painful
    But faith is not some fragile thing that shatters when we walk through something hard
    So, we walk on whatever may come

  • Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Questions

  • What images come to mind when you think about heaven?

  • Which child are you most similar to?

  • How is salvation like the golden tickets?

  • How do you see God? Transactional or transformational?

  • How do imagination and hope overlap?

  • Where do you feel hopeless? What would a hopeful future look like?

More info

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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster

Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston

Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).

Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.

Links:

Paul McDonald
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