The What We Learned Song
Those of us who grew up with Christian cartoons in the 1990s/2000s know that no episode is complete without a “What We Learned Song.” (Thank you, Veggie Tales!)
The genius of the “What We Learned Song” was twofold. 1) It conveyed beyond all doubt the author’s opinion that a story is supposed to have a moral. 2) It provided a seamless transition between the last punchline and the serious bit of the show. It said, “You know our characters learned a lesson—and here it is.” After that, the script writer needed to get the essence of half an hour of kids programing into about two sentences.
So that’s what we’re going to do today. Five characters—five separate “stories” within the plot of As the Heavens Are Higher—and two sentences to tell you what each of them learned.
As the Heavens Are Higher: What We Learned
Adelaide
“I learned that God’s plan is always best. Even when the path holds unexpected twists and turns, His ending will be better than anything you could have dreamed.”
Anna
“I learned that forgiveness starts with your own heart. The beam in your own eye always looks smaller than the mote in someone else’s, but until you deal with that beam you will be unable to see things in their real perspective.”
Richard
“I learned to be more considerate. Unless you take time to think about the other person’s perspective you will upset them and get into trouble without even meaning to.”
Lady Bradstock
“I learned that God has called us to actively participate in the lives of others. Even when tragedy has destroyed the future we wanted, He has work for us to do and we can only find it if we are willing to put ourselves aside and live for Him.”
The Author
Yes, I know. The author’s not a character!!! Or am I? After all, I was the character talking all the time we were in the narrative voice . . . (Okay, we’ll keep that discussion for another day!) Anyhow, I think most authors would agree that they’ve learned something from most, if not all, novels they’ve written. Maybe even something bigger than the characters or the readers have learned from the story. And in the case of As the Heavens Are Higher:
“I learned that self-evident as it seems to say that God’s ways are higher than our ways, it still takes a lot of spiritual maturity to live out that belief day by day. I feel a little bit sheepish every time I tell someone that my main take-away was the lesson the whole story was suppose to teach, but just like Adelaide I’ve learned that God has a plan and a timing—and it isn’t always ours!”
The “What YOU Learned Song”
Fiction can be crazy. Nowhere more so than when it comes to the things different people take away from the same story. I wrote As the Heavens Are Higher with a certain lesson in mind, but that doesn’t mean it was the idea you, the reader, took away from the story.
I would love, love, LOVE, to hear your own personal “What We Learned Song” for As the Heavens Are Higher. If you had to put your favorite idea into two sentences, what would they be?
Let me know in the comments section below.
For another behind-the-scenes peek at As the Heavens Are Higher see the post below:
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