Yesterday I took Nicky and Sammie to the movies so their mother and grandmother could shop. It was a foolish move in so many ways. Why should I make it easier for those ladies to spend money? To make it worse I took the kids to the movie they wanted to see, ParaNorman. In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman , who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.
Maybe this was not my finest moment as a Christian grandparent. I’m glad I was with them. Before you take little ones consider this review from a Christian perspective. I’m glad I took them because I know kids think about death, especially kids who have lost a parent or someone else close. ParaNorman presents the world view about death which is that the best you can hope for after this life is a peaceful sleep. You don’t want to “come back” restless and unhappy.
It’s a potent reminder of the joyful gift we have to share with those who live with that sad view of their end. We chastise ourselves for not more bravely preaching hell, but the death that’s nothing more than a permanent sleep may be plenty sad enough. Consider that the truth about death, for the believer, is a life ruling with Christ in a perfected world.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that everyone you know doesn’t think about death. They do from the oldest to the very youngest. It’s obvious that life as we know it comes to an end. The questions raised about what happens next may be our greatest opportunity to share the incredibly good news of Jesus.
Paranormal (ParaNorman…get it?) is a general term (coined ca. 1915–1920]) that designates experiences that lie outside “the range of normal experience or scientific explanation“ or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science’s current ability to explain or measure. Paranormal does describe life after death, but the truth doesn’t include ghosts and the undead. It can include great joy and everlasting peace that is outside the range of normal experience or scientific explanation. Isn’t that great? Doesn’t someone you know and love deserve to know the truth?
Be blessed.
Nick
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