“The Polar Express” is full of invitations—invitations to
trust the unknown, to ride a magnificent train, to journey into the magical and
mysterious. But overall, the most
significant invitation is to believe in the loving, giving character of
Santa.
Throughout the movie, invitations are extended repeatedly,
but never forced upon anyone. The boy
and others are free to choose whether or not to accept the invitations. Eventually, the boy accepts what he believes
in his heart to be true. And he accepts
it on faith.
The Bible says, “Faith means being sure of the things we
hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” Hebrews 11:1
Just as the boy chose to believe in Santa, we can choose to believe in
the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of baby Jesus.
As parents, design your Christmas preparations around
helping your children believe in Jesus and grow in their belief. Pray together every day. Read the Bible to them or with them. Be involved in worship. Serve others. Give them opportunities to be creative. Sing
and dance, paint and play. Celebrate
your faith.
As you continue to foster your child’s faith, listen to
his/her thoughts, ideas and questions, provide opportunities for your child to
experience and journey into the invitation, you will be helping your child
believe and hold on to that belief for the rest of their lives. What better Christmas gift could you give?
No comments:
Post a Comment