As I've been saying, for the past several years VeggieTales has released Christmas stories . . . some of which have become my favorite Veggie stories! This year they have put together a "Veggie Christmas Marathon!" This VeggieTales Ultimate Christmas Collection features the entire Veggie Christmas collection, you'll find on two DVDs, It's a Meaningful Life, Saint Nicholas: a Story of Joyful Giving, The Star of Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, The Toy that Saved Christmas, Christmas Singalong Songs DVD and 25 Favorite Christmas Songs CD!So, today let's take a closer look at The Star of Christmas!
This movie asks the question, "How do we teach others to love?" Set in old-time London the Veggie Characters, Cavis and Millward work to put on a show which will teach London how to love, but in the process, they come to learn shows are not as important as helping people in need; which is what God did when He sent Jesus . . . He showed His love to us when we were in need!
Cavis learns about a special "Star of Christmas" which is going to be at a church's Christmas play, put on by Edmund and his friends, the same night as his show and becomes concerned the whole city will go to the Christmas play instead of his big show. Cavis decides to make his show bigger and to add lots more electric lights which he is sure will make his show much better than the Christmas play, but finds out the only thing which will make his show the best is if he has the Star of Christmas at his show . . . so he decides to "borrow" the "Star". During the dress rehearsal, all Cavis' lights burn the theater down and Cavis and Millward are identified as the "hooigans" who stole the Star of Christmas. They find themselves in jail where they try to explain to Pincheras, who is another person in jail, how they were going to teach London to love with a "big stage show with great songs and costumes and lots of lights". Pincheras tells them they are more likely to teach a horse to fly than they are to teach the city - or any city to love. Cavis asks him if anyone has ever been nice to him and he says, "Sure, people are nice to you, when they want something from you. But that isn't love." He says love is, "giving up something for someone when they don't deserve it and there's nothing in it for you . . . that's love. Going to someone who needs help, when you won't get nothing back . . . that's love. I ain't never seen anything like that. Leastwise, not around here. If you ask me, you can't teach a man to love; it's not his nature."
Cavis and Millward are shocked when Edmund and his dad bail them out of jail. They tell them about what Christmas is really about - "God loved us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be called Emmanuel, God with us! And that God came to help us, even when we don't deserve it! Because He loved us!" Edmund and his dad forgave Cavis and Millward! When Cavis realizes Edmund gave up his pageant just to come help him, they all climb aboard Seymour's Rocket Carriage to try and make it to the church in time! Where they find out the real "Star of Christmas" is Jesus! Cavis learns, "There is only one story which can show us how to love, and this is it!" Cavis and Millward end the show by taking Mr. Pincheras a gift, cookies and cocoa as an opportunity to show him love.
Strong messages about loving others, God's amazing love for us and how we twist things to make doing wrong sound like it isn't so bad. Also a solid message about forgiveness and what Christmas is really all about.Talk with your children about the choices Cavis made and ask them why they think he was so concerned with his show being the best that he was willing to do what he really knew was wrong.
Not only did Veggies send me the Ultimate Christmas Collection for me to review, but they are making another available for me to give away (USA only)! Hooray! If you are over the age of 18 and would like to be included in this give-away which will be on November 2, 2012 - please comment below to let me know if you have followed on Google Friend Connect, followed by liking on facebook with the tab in the "Find us on Facebook" box ON THE BLOG (not just liking the post) and/or have followed About the Children's Department by email. For each of these which you have done you will receive one entry. In addition, if you "share" this post, you'll receive an additional entry (please let me know if you share). This will help me be able to draw names from among people who would like to win this movie and it gives you several ways to enter the give-away! Thank you for reading About the Children's Department and for sharing it with the people you know!
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