Lessons from a Kids' Movie ...

When the movie Babe came out on Video, the tale of the little pig who thought he was a dog became an INSTANT hit in our home ... it has been watched over and over and over ...

I remember using it in sermons at the time - the theme of Babe becoming a shepherd fit nicely into reflections on the 23rd Psalm, The Lost Sheep and any where the ideal of Shepherd pops up ...

There was very little about the movie that wasn't delightful. Even the cynical Ferdinand the duck's running commentary provided a comic relief worth reflecting upon ...

Since seeing The Waterhorse this past week I've been thinking A LOT about Babe ... both stories roll from the same creative pen ... but more than that, both stories teach us and our children much about remaining open to the majesty and mystery of LIFE. In The Waterhorse, it is about being open to the possibility of mythic creatures inhabiting the world around us (something I DO believe in - but that's a tale for another day). While in Babe it is about being open to possibilities that lift us outside the box, and way, way, way outside our comfort zone ... I personally think that Babe is a good model for ministry - something I may reflect on later over at Meditative Moments ... but for now, I think the lesson of Babe is the one learned by the farmer - to keep our eyes, our ears, and our hearts open to the possibility of something amazing happening around us ...

So ... having said all of that ... I was going to post the clip from Babe (available on YouTube) of Farmer Hoggett (played by James Cromwell) singing and dancing the song "If I had words" for the little pig ... but in searching for the song I came across the original by Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keely and decided to post it instead ... so tonight, for a little bit of encouragement on a grey winter day (around HERE anyway), I offer that video clip (I may still post the other one another day!!)