VeggieTales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (A Lesson in Handling Fear) DVD

When I feel afraid …

VeggieTales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (A Lesson in Handling Fear) DVD

Big Idea (www.veggietales.com)

Length: Approximately 50 minutes plus bonus content

Imagine a weapon that feeds on fear. It reveals your greatest fright, and then uses it to immobilize you. It gains power through dread and then literally freezes its victims. When the villain in the latest VeggieTales episode steals the so-called “feardar,” The League of Incredible Vegetables is called into action to save Bumblyburg.

This portrayal of how fear works shows the cleverness that is a hallmark of VeggieTales. Weighty subjects become not only understandable but filled with subtle insights and humor. It’s what makes VeggieTales appealing to more than just little ones.

Junior Asparagus aka Ricochet longs for a supersuit, so that he will never feel afraid, not realizing that everyone feels afraid at times. He soon realizes that to trust in a supersuit, which has limited value and is subject to failure, is a huge mistake. The story smartly references David when he prepared to face the giant, Goliath. Israel’s king offered David the best armor available, but David had no use for it. He faced Goliath with something greater: trust in God. This VeggieTales story highlights that only God never fails and is bigger than any problem that we face.

Despite his timidity, I appreciate the vulnerability of Junior Asparagus. He falls flat by letting fear loom large and misplacing his trust, but he learns the lesson of this story. In Psalm 56:3, David says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” In the end, Ricochet is triumphant, not because of an absence of fear, but because he has learned to place his confidence in God.

In addition to the “Supper Hero,” a brand new Silly Song, this release contains The League of Incredible Vegetables Music Video performed by the Newsboys, which also serves as the theme song. It’s on par with the excellence that is characteristic of the Newsboys and fits the story.

Blockbuster superhero movies like The Avengers get loads of attention, but I wonder if they can compete with the take-away value of a simple lesson like this. This DVD clearly answers the question, “What can I do when I feel afraid?”