An "Epic" Opportunity to Teach God's Truth



Harkins Theater is offering two free movies for the next week for their 80th anniversary. I took the kids to see Epic for the 11:30 show. (It was great to be just about the only one's in the theater!)

We have seen this movie before. Dennis took Ellie to see it on a "date". Then we checked it out from the library and watched it at home. There are some great lessons in this movie and I love the story of the gained understanding between father and daughter. I was tearing up in a couple of parts!

As we were leaving the theater today, we began discussing some of these little nuggets of truth. I pointed out that the leaf men's saying about how "they were many leaves but all connected" reminded me of Romans 12:4-6a which says, "for just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." We talked about how we use the gifts God has given us to serve one another and to honor Christ as one.

Next we talked about how several of the characters portrayed the self sacrifice found in Philippians 2:3-4 which reads "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

First Queen Tara ran off on her own to draw the enemy away from the crowds. She showed more concern for the people than her own safety. Nod learned to set aside his desire for self-fulfillment to join General Ronin in the task of getting the pod to safety. General Ronin stayed behind to distract the evil warriors while Nod and MK got away with the pod. MK gave up what she thought was her chance to be made big again to get her father to help distract the bats so the pod could bloom in full moonlight. MK's father finally realized his work was keeping him from the people he loved and was ready to give it up in order to be the father he needed to be. Of course, all of the leaf men give of themselves for the benefit of the community at the cost of their own lives. We talked about how Christ sacrificed for us and how we are to follow His example and serve one another; sometimes giving up our own desires to do so.

Then Ellie pointed out that when Nim Galuu said,  "who gives up everything for a world that is not their own?"; it made her think about Jesus and how He gave up all His power and glory to come to earth to live as a man and to die for our sins. (I admit, I was super pleased at her thinking!)

I'm not always "on top" of teachable moments like this; but I try my best to make good use of the opportunities presented to me. Even a movie can be a good chance to teach spiritual truths.

Glad for the fun we had in seeing a movie mid-morning and for the time to discuss it.


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