Teaching our children to cry – Lessons from The Neverending Story

(contains spoilers!!)

I have come to realise that I have something of an aversion to tragedy in stories. I know deep down that these stories are the gourmet meal of art. And yet, when I sit down and choose a film or book to read in an evening, I’m not sure I want to put my heart through the wringer and so I often I opt for the takeaway snack instead.

Here’s a case in point. I have a tape sitting in my bedside draw that I’ve never played to my children. It’s an episode of Adventures in Odyssey. My kids love Odyssey, just as I did as a child, but this episode made me weep when I first heard it. I was beside myself. It tells the story of a girl called Karen who contracts cancer and eventually dies. Weaved throughout the episode is hope – hope of life and eternity. It is deeply moving (no cheap kiddie menu here). There’s a beauty to the story that’s almost too painful to repeat. But perhaps that’s the issue. I fear that it will be repeated one day; maybe even with one of my own children as the central character. Given this, why would I want to put my daughter and sons through the aching pain of this drama? Why would I cause them to cry? And so I haven’t played that episode to my children.

Enter ‘The Neverending Story’.

We’re so glad you’re here

Last week we took our first trip to the USA, to Nashville and to HutchmootUS. Having enjoyed HutchmootUK so much back in July, it was really exciting to be able to go and enjoy the American version.

As we went around greeting friends and making new ones we kept hearing the same phrase – ‘we’re so glad you’re here’. Person after person. Old friends and new.

Now, we hardly ever say that in England. Not because we’re not glad that people are there, but we’re just not so effusive, especially after one minute of chatting to someone. So it felt odd. Lovely, but odd. It felt odd that someone who hardly knew us could be so glad of our presence. Were they just being kind? Are they really glad? If we chat for much longer are they going to want to retract their statement?

It strikes me that that’s actually how we often think of God. He says he loves us, but does he really? We can sometimes think that God in some way has to love us. It’s the deal he’s set up. Everyone who trusts in Jesus is saved, so he has to take in some dregs alongside the really cool people that he’d much prefer to hang around. 

Big songs for little moments

Using song in daily discipleship

Our eldest is 10 years old and worrying… again. She worries about almost everything. But this time she’s worrying about sin. She’s realising that she’s a sinner and wants to uncover every last bit of her sin. She remembers moments from yesterday, last week, even last year when she stuffed up and feels the guilt. Her mum patiently sits, listening, speaking, comforting, praying.

Then there’s a pitter-patter of feet. Our 5 year old gently sidles up to his mum and whispers a line from one of my songs (and the Bible!) in her ear, “say – as far as the east is from the west…”

I’m a songwriter, and more latterly I’ve been focussing on writing songs for children (and adults who are listening in). It’s been an interesting journey getting to this point and my belief in the power of song to speak and embed truth in children has only grown.

The Lion King – Is it as good as the original?

With the rare exception (‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ springs to mind) movie remakes suffer the fate of critical comparison. Characters we loved are ruined forever by another actor. Scenes we memorised are deleted, or worse, reimagined. So, you can imagine the trepidation with which I approached the new version of ‘The Lion King’.

We love the original (1994). And yes, I did cry when I first saw it. But then give me 5 minutes of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and I’ll be bawling my eyes out.

So, heading to the cinema 25 years later, I had to wonder if the new version would have the same impact? Put simply – would it be as good as the original? However, part way through the film, that question no longer occupied my thoughts, replaced by something as surprising as it was poignant. 

The opening to the 2019 version of ‘The Lion King’ is faithful to the majestic beginning of the original (without the slightly wonky giraffe which always slightly disturbed me). The heart-pounding crescendo leading into the ‘thump’ of the title screen makes you want to rise to your feet and applaud. However, this being England, we just sit in appreciative silence. 

Mission to the sorted

I suspect most Christians feel that one of the hardest people groups to reach with the good news about Jesus is… the ‘sorted’.

By the sorted I mean those who are living a happy life – they’ve got a nice home (nothing too extravagent of course), a good job with reasonable hours, just enough money for a nice holiday (nothing too exotic of course). They have a loving family, get involved with community projects, give to charities… you know who I’m talking about. You may even live next door to them.

I don’t know about you, but the idea of sharing the gospel with them is frankly daunting. Where do you start? No obvious trouble in life, no glaring idol that’s tearing them apart, no overt quest to find a greater truth… they seem sorted. How is Jesus going to be good news to them?

If you have the same reaction as me, then you will find Luke 6:24-26 sobering…

“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

Far from the ‘sorted’ leaving us lost for gospel-words, knowing people in this situation should set off alarm bells in our mind and cause great concern in our hearts. Far from the ‘sorted’ bring sorted, they are in fact in great danger.

So what can we say to the sorted?

Well… the gospel.

The gospel is about Jesus and the fact he is King. That’s why the response of the crowd to Peter’s gospel presentation is ‘what must we do?’ Jesus is King and whoever you are, you need to respond.

Thats the message, and whether you’re ‘sorted’ or not one day you will meet the King.

Do we love our sorted neighbours enough to get them ready?

A great prayer – Valley of Vision ‘Resurrection’

 

Adorable Redeemer
You who was lifted up on a cross
are ascended to highest heaven.
You, who as Man of sorrows was crowned with thorns,
are now as Lord of life wreathed with glory.
Once, no shame more deep than yours,
no agony more bitter, no death more cruel.
Now, no exaltation more high,
no life more glorious, no advocate more effective.

 

What more could be done than you have done!
Your death is our life,
Your resurrection our peace,
Your ascension our hope,
Your prayers our comfort.