Today Grace and I finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson. Having watched and loved the Disney movie so many times as a child, I looked forward to reading this story of adventure with my daughter.
We discovered that, though Disney produced a wonderful family movie, it should be titled: The Family That is Not the Swiss Family Robinson.
We were happy to find, though, that the book is far more wonderful than the movie even though there are no pirates to thrill the reader. The story is not without its thrills; there is a boa constrictor scene that will fulfill the wants of any adrenaline enthusiast. There are also some scenes of animal violence that would need some helpful explanation and guidance from Mommy or Daddy to help a child understand the context of these particular scenes.
The most memorable part of this story for me, though, is the attention given to family prayer, worship, and devotion. In several places throughout the book the characters stop to express gratitude and need for protection from God. The father provides spiritual leadership to his family throughout the book by gathering the family for prayer and worship. The family’s daily life is undergirded with a consistent lifestyle of Christian family discipleship.
One of my favorite passages occurs as the family is remembering the anniversary of their escape from their ship wreck:
“Afterward we sat together for a long time, enjoying the calm beauty of the morning and talking of all that had taken place on the memorable days of the storm a year ago. For I desired that the awful events of that time should live in the remembrance of my children with a deepening sense of gratitude for our deliverance. Therefore I read aloud passages from my journal, as well as many beautiful verses from the Psalms, expressive of joyful praise and thanksgiving, so that even the youngest among us was impressed and solemnized at the recollections of escape from a terrible death, and also led to bless and praise the name of the Lord our Deliverer.” (Chapter 22, “Thanksgiving Day”)
Sadly, you just don’t get that kind of writing in contemporary children’s literature.
The Swiss Family Robinson is a story well worth reading with your own family, and portrays an example of family worship that is well worth replicating.
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