Looking Through a Biblical Lens – The Little Mermaid
This year, the primary school will be presenting a Junior Kids version of the musical, “The Little Mermaid”. It is a delightful musical for kids and families. The traditional fairy tale, or the movies it has been made into, has been adapted for us to fit the needs of younger children.
Ariel is a young mermaid who wants to leave her underwater home and live in the world above. To do this, she must defy her father, the King, and make a deal with the nasty Ursula. Ariel also wants to be noticed by Prince Eric. Ariel allows herself to be transformed so that she can live with the humans on the land. She must also sacrifice something that is special and unique to her – her voice. How often are we willing to be tempted and give up who we are because we think another way will be better? We are just like Ariel. Sometimes our decisions can have negative consequences.
We see King Trident step in for his daughter. Isn’t this what Jesus does for us? Ursula tempts Ariel, just as Satan tempts us, and tries to trick us into sinning. King Trident banishes the evil Ursula, just as we are assured Jesus will one day, once and for all, banish Satan.
We teach our children that if we are followers of Christ, we need to be ready to fight these temptations and realise that often what we have is all that we need.
Ephesians 6:10-12 reads, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Through this production, the children will learn what it means to look at things through a biblical perspective. It is easy to look at the surface of things and not see the deeper message behind them and the lessons we can learn through them. Just like Ariel’s home, the sea, we can look merely on the surface and only notice a flat expanse. However, going a little deeper we find a whole hidden world of unrealised realities. We need to guide and educate our children into developing this perspective so that they can begin doing this and continue doing it as they grow.
Yes, the children will have fun. Yes, they will learn a lot through the process of putting on a musical. Yes, you will enjoy the show. And yes, the message of God’s love for us and His care and sacrifice for us, will shine through as well.
Jodie Vamplew, Head of Primary