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"If it's not about a king, then I'm not interested!"

This is the defiant yet adorable response of Walter Dickens, the son of master storyteller Charles Dickens, in one of the opening scenes of Angel Studios' new animated film "The King of Kings." With his vivid creativity and infatuation with the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Walter had interrupted Dickens' dramatic reading of "A Christmas Carol" to a live audience. The show's attendees found Walter's spontaneous and playful depiction of this revered king in British literature amusing, but his father was furious. Later that evening, Dickens' wife, Catherine, urges him to show compassion and extend forgiveness to Walter by telling him the story of Jesus, Savior and King. Walter's temperamental cat, Willa, also demands in her frisky feline way that Dickens show remorse for losing his temper with his son.

"The King of Kings" targets children between 5 and 11 years old -- Gen Alpha. At the film's end, several children express how much they enjoyed the featured biblical stories and share their favorite parts. This is a clever marketing strategy from Angel Studios, as few people would negatively react to a child's genuine thumbs-up. Watching the children share their reactions, I thought about how resplendent storytelling is a captivating art that can still thoroughly engage them even in our ever-present digital age. It was easier for parents like Dickens during the Victorian era to keep their children's attention when telling stories since they read from books and did not have to compete with smart devices and video games that presently consume so much of kids' time. However, when someone has the literary gift of illustrating extraordinary sensory detail, especially when sharing beloved stories of Jesus' ministry, a precious connection can be made with today's young listeners.

Viewing Walter immerse himself in the events of Jesus' life by imagining his presence at miraculous occasions, such as the Lord feeding 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread, and Peter walking on the water, caused me to reflect on how I did the same thing when reading Bible stories at his age. As a child, I had a book that primarily focused on the Old Testament, and like Walter, I pictured myself treading across the Red Sea when God used Moses to deliver the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. I also visualized walking around in the fiery furnace unscathed like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to worship the golden statue built by Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar. When I turned the pages of this book, I thought about how I would interact with each character and what it would have been like to live during these times.

Despite "The King of Kings" being a tremendous animated retelling of the purpose Jesus came into the world for, it has received the usual criticism for faith-based films: that it focuses too much on the gospel message and not enough on entertainment. Yet the gospel message is the principal reason for the story, and "The King of Kings" does more than show kids the miracles of Jesus. It explains why Jesus was able to perform them through the divine principle of faith. In the film, Jesus often tells his disciples and the multitudes to simply "believe." Walter was able to understand this concept of trust and assurance in Christ, which is why Jesus said in Matthew 18:4 that whoever humbles himself as a "little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." It's often hard for adults to humble themselves, and sometimes even harder for them to have faith that Christ can redeem their lives and provide fulfillment, peace and glorious joy.

There is an underlying message for adults in the conclusion of the film. Dickens has an "At Work: Do Not Disturb" sign on his study door that he takes down. It appears he realizes after spending more time with Walter to tell the story of Christ that he has neglected his son. Walter is the type of child whose curiosity and ingenuity need to be nurtured, and like all children, he needs the unconditional love of his parents. I also looked at Dickens' "Do Not Disturb" sign as symbolic of how we can shut God out when we become preoccupied with work and other things. It reminded me that for Jesus to truly be King, I cannot be too busy for Him to be first in my life.

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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