As the parent of a 2-year-old, I have the pleasure of watching children's movies and cartoons over and over again. The one story I do not mind repeated viewings is Charlotte's Web. The more I watch, the more I begin to understand that the underlying message of the story is that of Charlotte, selfless promoter of others. She is an example to me as a teacher, as a mother, as a person, of how celebrating others is a true measure of your love for God. While the story is about a message in a web that saves an otherwise plain little pig from becoming sausage links, it is also the story of a beautiful soul, one that risks her own life, her own notoriety, to save another. Charlotte is SOME spider, terrific, radiant, and humble in her own rights. She uses her creativity to promote, not herself but another. Others first.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others." Humility is difficult for the best of us but is ultimately the most rewarding. Acts 20:35 says, "In everything I did I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" In the story of Charlotte, she left a legacy: not only was the barnyard blessed with 500 little spiders the following spring (to rid the barnyard of other pesky insects, mind you) but also a humble, radiant, terrific pig to share her "message" of putting others first. Often we do not see the results of our labor. If we only do things for others so that we can enjoy the outcome, then we are really putting ourselves first. Charlotte did not survive to see the results of her labor. Nonetheless, her message lived on.
Maybe E.B. White never meant for me or anyone else to see Charlotte as an example of Christ, but isn't it amazing how God can take even a children's story to teach you how to live? I have found that if we fervently seek Him, He is there. Wherever and in whatever mode or fashion. I was reading on Wikipedia that a literary critic said that White failed by opening the story as he did, not focusing on the "human dimension" and "obscuring any allegory to humanity, if one were to view the animals' story as such." If that is true, how then should we view Charlotte? Was she merely an intelligent spider who spun fantastic webs? Maybe so, but I want more than anything to be the Charlotte.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others." Humility is difficult for the best of us but is ultimately the most rewarding. Acts 20:35 says, "In everything I did I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" In the story of Charlotte, she left a legacy: not only was the barnyard blessed with 500 little spiders the following spring (to rid the barnyard of other pesky insects, mind you) but also a humble, radiant, terrific pig to share her "message" of putting others first. Often we do not see the results of our labor. If we only do things for others so that we can enjoy the outcome, then we are really putting ourselves first. Charlotte did not survive to see the results of her labor. Nonetheless, her message lived on.
Maybe E.B. White never meant for me or anyone else to see Charlotte as an example of Christ, but isn't it amazing how God can take even a children's story to teach you how to live? I have found that if we fervently seek Him, He is there. Wherever and in whatever mode or fashion. I was reading on Wikipedia that a literary critic said that White failed by opening the story as he did, not focusing on the "human dimension" and "obscuring any allegory to humanity, if one were to view the animals' story as such." If that is true, how then should we view Charlotte? Was she merely an intelligent spider who spun fantastic webs? Maybe so, but I want more than anything to be the Charlotte.
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