BJU Press Blog

Bible

Little House and the Big Omission (Part 1)

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The wolves howl hungrily in the Big Woods, but inside the little log cabin a cozy fire projects the lively shadows of Pa’s fiddle playing while Mary and Laura sing along. Scenes like this one from the Little House series are still etched in my mind. My mother read each of the Little House books to us children, and I recently began reading them with my daughter.

This beloved series captures the essence of pioneer life. We experience the nineteenth-century American frontier with the Ingalls family on long journeys plodding across the prairie in a covered wagon, through relentless Dakota blizzards that nearly brought a town to starvation, and against harsh farming realities such as grasshopper plagues and hailstorms. We learn perseverance, discipline, family harmony, and courage.

Yet as I’m reading through this series as an adult, I’ve noticed a big omission in the Little House series. We take for granted that Little House is a wholesome Christian series. After all, the Ingalls family prays, goes to church, and lives morally. However, the Christianity portrayed in the Little House series is merely cultural, from dull Sabbath-keeping and moral judgments to religious platitudes, such as “The Lord helps them that help themselves.”

The gospel is conspicuously absent from the Little House series and so the shell of Christianity that remains implies a works righteousness that cannot save.

So as I read the Little House series with my children, I want to point out the instances of cultural Christianity and contrast it with biblical truth. This may help them recognize cultural Christianity today, such as when we hear politicians say “God bless America” with never a mention of Christ or our need for repentance, or when we interact with that likable neighbor who believes his moral life and good deeds and occasional church attendance earn him a title deed to heaven. As we enjoy the story of American frontier life, here are some discussion questions you can use to help children distinguish between the shell of religion and real life in Christ.

Naughty Cousin Charley

In Little House in the Big Woods (210–11), Laura was astonished at how Charley disobeyed and distracted his father. She couldn’t imagine being so naughty, and she thought he got what he deserved in being stung by the yellow jackets.

Discussion Questions

  • Do you think you are better than Charley (Luke 5:32)?
  • When we compare ourselves with other people, we often think we’re relatively good and that God will accept us into heaven. But what does the Bible teach us about comparison and our true state before God (2 Corinthians 10:12; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10–24)?

Clichés

The Little House series is full of practical proverbs and optimistic sayings, such as “All’s well that ends well” and “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” In Farmer Boy (146), Mother is frightened at the possibility of being robbed, but Father reminds her, “The Lord will take care of us.” She responds, “The Lord helps them that help themselves.”

Discussion Questions

  • Is “The Lord helps them that help themselves” a biblical proverb?
  • When it comes to salvation, is this proverb applicable (Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:8-9)?

Getting Even with Snooty Nellie Olsen

In On the Banks of Plum Creek (168–76), Laura shows the normal human response of loving her friends and hating her enemies, seeking to get even with haughty Nellie Olsen by chasing her into the muddy creek area infested with bloodsucking leeches. Laura’s friend thought Nellie got what she deserved, and “deep down inside her Laura felt satisfied when she thought of Nellie dancing on the creek bank” (176).

Discussion Questions

  • How does Jesus say we should respond to our enemies (Matthew 5:43–48)?
  • What did Jesus do for those who were God’s enemies (Colossians 1:21–22)?

Ma and the Indians

Several times in the Little House series, the Ingalls family encounters Indians, much to Ma’s displeasure. In By the Shores of Silver Lake (82), she declares, “I always heard you can’t trust a half-breed.” The author observes, “Ma did not like Indians; she did not like even half-Indians.”

Discussion Questions

  • What are some reasons why Ma disliked Indians? Are there any people groups that you naturally fear or dislike?
  • Are there really different races of people or only one human race descended from Adam and Eve (Acts 17:26)?
  • How does faith in Christ break down ethnic barriers and give us a love for enemies (John 3:16; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 5:9)?
  • Contrast Ma’s attitude with the love and sacrifice of David Brainerd, who sought to bring the gospel to the Indians.

Stay tuned for Part 2  with more discussion questions to help us see the Little House series through a biblical worldview and gospel lens.

Works Cited

Laura Ingalls Wilder. Little House in the Big Woods. New York: Harper & Row, 1971.

———. Farmer Boy. New York: Harper & Row, 1971.

———. On the Banks of Plum Creek. New York: Harper & Row, 1971.

———. By the Shores of Silver Lake. New York: Harper & Row, 1971.

External Compliance vs. Heart-Engaged Obedience?

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Christian education is facing a crucial and unsettling time. It has sought for years to lay a thoroughly biblical foundation for students and to impart truth on every hand. But many Christian school students are cold, and even resentful, toward that teaching. As Christian educators, we should try to bring students back to Christianity’s foundation—the truth of the gospel—so that when we address students’ behavior it is motivated by and grows out of our dedication to the gospel.

Since young people sometimes try to define truth by their own subjective perceptions, perhaps we should ask ourselves some questions about what we are teaching them. Are we teaching them the whole truth? Could we actually be dumbing down our presentation of the truth? Amid calls of “Don’t give them doctrine, make it practical!” and an obsession with “principles to live by,” have we maybe lost sight of the basics and unintentionally obscured the person of the gospel, Jesus Christ?

We often respond with more and more behavior-focused instruction when our students’ behavior seems to indicate that they do not understand Christianity. There’s a need to balance our teaching of practical do’s and don’ts with teaching Christ’s perfect sacrifice for us on the cross. Perhaps one reason the gospel has lost its wonder and richness for young people is because of our presentation of the wonderful central figure—Jesus Christ. He is sometimes overshadowed by lesser goals when He should be the focus as well as the motivator behind practical Christian living.

In 1 Corinthians 1:23 Paul also states that there were those (the Jews and Greeks) who found his preaching of Christ unacceptable. Even though the impact of Paul’s ministry on both his own generation and on every generation since is astounding, even Paul’s faithful preaching of the gospel was not welcomed by every person who heard it. The same holds true when we admonish our students. Some will accept it while others may reject the truth.

When faced with such animosity or dismissal of the truth, we may mourn our own lack of power and the great limitations of our flesh that we think make us inadequate to share the gospel that we love. We must remember that God is never frustrated or limited. His promise in Isaiah 55:11 shows that His Word is never “void.” He holds the key to our hearts and has the power to accomplish whatever He intends to—in spite of our sinful nature and wandering hearts.

God alone is able to reach our hearts and those of our students. Whatever work He intends to do in our students’ lives is not impossible. And we can help by trusting in His power, not our own, to guide us as we share His truth through our words and actions.

How do you share the Truth with your students?

The Beauty of Trust

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A young woman gracefully makes her way into the king’s court and stands quietly, waiting to be noticed—swan-like, queenly. Her beauty turns heads and, more importantly, leaves the king himself spellbound. The king invites her to approach. But she has been sent there by the hand of Jehovah to do more than take the king’s breath away. She must completely capture his sympathies. She ends up succeeding and thereby becoming one of the most celebrated heroines of all time—a soldier whose uniform is the finery of court. Her mission? Saving her nation and changing the course of Jewish history—a mission she could accomplish only by her willingness to trust.

And her name? Esther.

Trust in a God-fearing mentor

As queen, Esther was in a position far superior to that of her cousin and former guardian, Mordecai. Once she married the king, her days as an orphan under Mordecai’s authority were behind her. Her life was dictated by the expectations of the royal court. Yet she still consulted and trusted Mordecai and obeyed his call to action (Esther 4:10–16). Her loyalty to him remained steadfast in spite of her exalted circumstances, something that could only be attributed to a respect forged by years of tender nurturing and careful training from her youth. Though she had only recently emerged from her teens, she lost none of her high regard for Mordecai.

Trust under a stranger guardian

Esther’s preparation to meet the king was long and appears to have been fairly regimented. The desire to make a strong and favorable impression required great attention to detail. However, Esther’s undemanding spirit is noted in Scripture in contrast to the attitudes of other more forthright women who were vying for the king’s attention. Her trust extended to the one providing her day-to-day needs since “she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed” (Esther 2:15). Esther’s contentment no doubt contributed to her beautiful countenance, and she saw her Lord supply all her need through Hegai.

Trust in her King of Kings

Esther’s most powerful demonstration of trust appears when she lays her life on the line for her people—God’s people. Her words of concession (“if I perish, I perish”) to Mordecai ring through the corridors of time and establish her as one of history’s greatest heroines (Esther 4:16). She requests that her people commit to prayer and fasting as she prepares to approach the king. By faith, she submits herself unselfishly to God’s hard task and witnesses God’s astonishing deliverance—not only for her but also for her people.

The deeds of this conscientious queen were not merely forged by extreme circumstances. They came from a heart well-rehearsed in trusting Jehovah. Esther conquered her fears because she had first been conquered by her heavenly Father. Reliance on Him and not herself helped this young queen accomplish her mission.

How do you show your trust in God in your daily actions?