The Parables of this Generation

Movies are such a great teaching tool for any parent to use to engage their child in meaningful and pertinent conversations. We believe that movies are the parables of this generation. Where Jesus used parables (or stories) to convey a larger meaning to His followers in a way they would understand, movies can be used to convey a larger meaning to our children using a medium that they find interesting, exciting, and thought-provoking. Teaching our children to be critical thinkers is something that we value highly and we find that watching movies in short snip-its and then discussing the content has been something that has drastically increased our kids' ability to think and draw conclusions, ask questions, and come to an understanding of some very deep concepts.

We typically choose a movie or series to watch during our lunch break. Sitting down at the table and eating helps keep the children in one spot and focused. We watch about 20 to 30 minutes of the movie and then we pause it (until the next day) and discuss what we've watched. This allows the children to hone in one specific topics that can often be lost if you watch a full-length film and try to remember all the little teaching gems at the end. More often than not, we pause the movie several times during lunch as well, explaining concepts and asking questions along the way. It has become a treasured time during our day (especially since Daddy comes home for lunch and participates with us) and the children are learning some amazing life lessons. You may want to use a meal time for movie time or you may want to do it a few times a week after breakfast or before bed. Whatever works best for your family! So far we have done “learning through movies” with Remember the Titans, Harry Potter (all of them), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and we are currently on The Bible series.

To illustrate my point, I'd like to share a short clip with you that we watched with our children and then give you an example of what we discussed afterward. In this clip from, The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, we see the Secret Council of Lord Elrond (if you don't know anything about LOTR I apologize. You should watch them, you're missing out!). Lord Elrond has called together some of the greatest warriors, kings, wizards, and hobbits of Middle Earth to see what should be done with the One Ring (it's the Ring of Power which is basically pure evil). Once they decide that it should be taken to Mordor (where it was created in order to destroy it), Lord Elrond asks who will take it.

After much arguing among the other members of the Council, Frodo stands up and says “I will take it! I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!” Frodo did not focus on his shortcomings (his small size and lack of experience) but rather was willing to be sent no matter the cost. Read Isaiah 6:8. How is Frodo's willingness to take the Ring to Mordor similar to Isaiah in the verse we just read? Sometimes God calls us to take a similar leap of faith. God calls us to be servant leaders, missionaries, teachers, preachers, and witnesses. Many missionaries reminisce on how God called on them to do something very important, and they knew that God wanted to send them when they were as young as 5 years old! God calls us to “Big Picture” plans like this and He also asks us to do little things, like tell someone at school about Jesus or start eating lunch with that one kid that no one talks to. Is God calling you to do something? How will you respond to Him?

We also see Gimli tried to destroy the Ring with his ax but the ax shattered. Gimli relied on his own strength to to try accomplish this great task. Just like the ax and the Ring, there is a spiritual battle that we engage in everyday and we must not put our faith in our own strength. Read Ephesians 6:11. What does God's Word say to use in spiritual warfare against the enemy? God gives us armor, spiritual armor, to help us defeat the enemy and his forces of evil. We must be prepared each day for the spiritual battle that lies ahead.

We also learn that Aragorn is actually the rightful King of Gondor, but he's been hiding because he's afraid that he may not have what it takes to overcome the weakness in his bloodline. Sins of the past can become a heavy burden that weigh Christians down and make us afraid to answer God's call. But God forgives us of our sins and calls us to have courage to do what is right, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

There are so many AMAZING life lessons and teachable moments in these great movies that I mentioned above and so many more. We've been able to discuss so many things: friendship, perseverance, good vs. evil, temptation, Satan, addiction, prejudice, stewardship, heroic sacrifice, sovereignty, romantic love, spiritual warfare, teamwork, servant leadership, embracing a calling, coping with separation and loss, resurrection, redemption, salvation, standing for what's right, loyalty and betrayal, marriage, divorce, adultery, sin and consequences, history, missionaries, the Church, what God values, the life of Jesus, Old Testament prophets, overcoming adversity, and so much more!! It's really quite impressive. The Bible series has been awesome and we've been able to teach the kids SO MUCH about the Bible in just a few days. They are absorbing so much and the absolutely love it. They can't wait 'till the next day to watch more. I love seeing them so excited about learning. And if movies help them do that, I am all for it!! I think we'll do the Chronicles of Narnia series next :)

Don't be afraid to try something new. Movies are not the enemy. If you need some help finding a movie to start with, send me a message! I'd love to help. You can also check out www.pluggedin.com to both screen your movies for content (we do this with all the movies we watch) and also you can find their “Movie Nights” that are mini-studies based on specific movies. They give you a pdf printout to go with your movie and aid in your discussions. These are great starter tools (although I wouldn't stick just to the pdf because you may see something even more in depth that you want to discuss, which is totally fine!). But definitely great conversation starters. Oh, and please note that pluggedin is anti-Harry Potter. I am totally pro-Harry Potter so we don't agree on everything. But for the most part, it's a good place to start if you're really having a hard time picking out conversation pieces.

So there you have it. Learning through movies... now go pop some popcorn :)

Bye for now,

Kristina