Last night Becky confessed that she really didn’t like Charlotte’s Web at all as a kid – which is downright unAmerican and ungodly if you ask me.
I just hated the ending. Remember the ending?
It’s the day before the prizes are handed out at the county fair. Charlotte spots a pig one pen over from Wilber.
“There’s a pig in the next pen, and he’s enormous,” she says. “I think I’ll drop down and have a closer look.”
Then she says to Wilbur’s neighbor, “May I have your name, please?”
“No name,” he says, “just call me ‘Uncle’.”
Uncle was in fact enormous. And that’s what the contest at the fair was all about. He barely had eye holes his face was so bloated. He was obviously a better beast than Wilbur, the supposedly “terrific radiant” pig I’d been duped into rooting for the entire film.
So Uncle wins first place as expected. And then the film should have ended with Wilbur getting sprinkled on a salad. That would have been justice.
But then, who do the townsfolk make up a prize for?
Who gets to march down the street with a band and everybody in the county singing about his awesomeness?
Wilbur.
While the best eats alone in his pen. Like first place doesn’t mean anything.
As a six year-old this chapped me.
I sometimes get patted on the back these days for pointing out injustice. Very odd. Like being patted on the back for breathing.
I was told just this week, in fact, that my “thirst for justice” is “evidence of God’s working” in my life.
I appreciate the kind words, of course, but I disagree. I was born with a justice complex: Everyone should get what I think they deserve.
The “evidence of God’s working” in my life, the real miracle here, is the too-infrequent sighting of mercy in me: Not giving what I think is deserved.
I’m thirty-six now and finally, sometimes, I can actually be happy for Wilbur.
Though most days I still wish his story ended with a sizzle. And a couple eggs and toast.
Mmm. Justice is yummy.
Brad Ruggles says:
That sound you hear is all the people who grew up loving Charlotte’s Web unsubscribing from your blog. ๐
Seriously though, great post. You’re exactly right – us seeking justice isn’t a sign that we’re closer to God, it’s merely us getting closer to how God originally created us. God is a God of justice and created us in His image and His likeness so we have a cry for justice flowing through our veins.
I recently re-read “Just Courage” by Gary Haugen and your post made me think of this excerpt:
“There must be more to the Christian life than this -more than church each Sunday and waving to my neighbors and giving some clothes to Goodwill when I go through my closet each spring. These aren’t bad things, of course. But they’re safe and comfortable and easy. And there’s a reason they’re not satisfying your desire for something more significant and meaningful – we’re created by God for adventure.”
Lindsay @ Not2Us says:
I like this message.
I love bacon.
Mmm…
Janet oberholtzer says:
whew … great post!
got me thinking …
have you every noticed how a justice complex can be distorted by our environment? if we aren’t careful we’ll believe the comments about the poor/addicts/etc deserving what they have because they did or didn’t do this or that.
Barbara says:
I’ve been thinking lately about my unfortunate family resemblance to Jonah and this post isn’t helping me shake that nagging conviction. I, too, have a pretty active justice gland, and I keep sitting on a proverbial hill watching and waiting for the Lord to “do justice”. Except now there is this good voice of conviction quoting Romans 9:3 in my head. And, after reading this, it comes with Wilbur in a parade. Not a bad mental image, actually. Thanks for this good word. I like it. (kind of, except for the part that makes me need to change) ๐
Krissy says:
I love Wilbur, but face it: everything is better with bacon.
Greg says:
Justice AND Mercy…that’s as difficult as chewing through a tough grisly hunk of meat to practice both!
The unexpected outcome of my eldest girl watching Charlotte’s Web when she was only about 4 or so was her self-proclaimed vegetarianism!
Amanda says:
If it were possible to separate me from my love of eating meat, that movie would have done it. It definitely doesn’t gloss over the sad reality of the food chain. Also, FYI, my family of origin does an amazing rendition of “Zuckerman’s Famous Pig.”
Shaun Groves says:
Good to know.
David Melson says:
Justice?
That would be US ending with a sizzle, wouldn’t it? isn’t that what we deserve?
But its God’s MERCY that makes up an award, a way out, for us.
So my inborn sense of justice Tells me that Charlotte’s Web lets us know that even when justice is done, there is mercy that is even more powerful. That mercy is shown to us so lets show it to others, instead of justifying their situation.
Carey Ann says:
I like the way you think, David. ๐
Mark says:
The only thing I really remember about the book is Charolette dying at the end. I bawled for at least half an hour after our 1st grade teacher read that part to us.
Haven’t reread the book since.
Christina Egner says:
Me either. How could they end a child’s book like that? Now that is injustice to many small children, including us {at the time}. hehe
CardsFan says:
My son just finished Charlotte’s Web for 2nd grade literature. At the end of the book, we “celebrated” with pancakes and bacon – some pig!!
amy says:
I hope to not upset anyone by saying this, but I think the word justice is all wrong. I know that is a popular word in our christian culture today, but I think we are using it wrong. Justice is getting what is deserved. So if we give out justice, then we are punching the man that punches us. Justice would be telling the boy whose parents are poor that they deserve to eat scraps and not have a home because that is the family they were born to. Seeking revenge would be good, if we were seeking justice. Justice says that Wilbur got what he deserved. He wasn’t the biggest pig, so he didn’t deserve to win. He was loved and cherished, he deserved his parade. That is why the only one who can bring justice is the Lord. What we give is mercy… giving what one is not entitled to, because we care, we have compassion, we love. Mercy would say Wilbur, you may not be the biggest, but you are going to win ANYWAY. Child, you may have been born into poverty, but we are going to meet your needs ANYWAY. Man, you may have punched me, but I am going to pray for God to bless you ANYWAY. My child, you have sinned and turned your back on me, you are deserving of eternity away from me, but I am going to forgive you and welcome you into my arms ANYWAY. (Thank You Jesus, wretch that I am, You have mercy on me and love me anyway.) Let us not try and be just, we cannot, let us be merciful.
Charity says:
I hadn’t thought of the use of the word this way, and I really appreciate your thought-provoking insight. Thanks for sharing. I want to think about it some more…. So far, I think I may agree. =)
Eric says:
Thank you, Amy. I am on board with much of what is being done under the banner of “social justice,” but I’ve never been comfortable calling it that. Parity, maybe. But not justice. Justice can mean fairness, or it can mean punishment. Sometimes it means both at the same time. Unconditional kindness, compassion, charity — those are elements of Grace. And Grace is utterly unjust, but in a good way.
Ronne says:
I love it when the little guy wins.
I love the marriage of mercy and grace.
And everything is better with bacon.
Shayne says:
Pork…the other white meat. Mmmmm….
Although…I thought the true injustice was Charlotte’s death.
I mean…she’s the heroine of the story. She saved Wilbur’s life. She gives birth to like, a million kids (hello? any moms out there? think of the diaper changing…) and then she dies.
Seriously. Not. Fair.
But then, neither was the cross. But I sure am thankful for it.
MariLee says:
My 3 year old son just got an “oinking” wilbur for his birthday! He loves Charlotte’s web! ๐
But hey…we’re still following! LOL!
Katie says:
justice in books for kids?
I unsuspectingly started a flurry of angry typing after making a Rainbow Fish costume for my two year old one halloween…really we were just interested in the fishy tail and the sparkly scales…who knew that it is a book hated by capitalism-loving non-socialist parents the world over?…and for some dumb reason, halloween was none too popular either…
Ruth says:
I think it’s probably because you’re just “all-boy” and prefer for things to die or be destroyed than the “happy-go-lucky” ending girls seem to enjoy more!