Eimear and Jacob are standing in a white space.
NARRATOR: Hello Eimear! Hey Jacob!
EIMEAR/JACOB: Hey!
NARRATOR: Today we’re going to look at some famous Christians from history.
*A man - C.S. Lewis – is hunched over a page, engrossed in writing. *
NARRATOR: Now this man is quite a famous author. He wrote The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which many children around the world have read. His name is C.S. Lewis. Have you heard of him?
EIMEAR: Yes, that’s my favourite book!
NARRATOR: When C.S. Lewis became a Christian in his thirties, he started writing books about Christianity, like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
JACOB: I thought it was just about a lion, and a witch… and a wardrobe?
NARRATOR: The book has a hidden message. Aslan, the lion, is supposed to represent Jesus.
*A thought bubble appears above C.S. Lewis' head. It contains a lion. The lion roars, making the kids jump. *
NARRATOR: He’s just one of many people whose Christianity influenced their lives. Another famous Christian is Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch woman who helped protect Jewish people from the Nazis in the Second World War.
*We see Corrie fixing a watch in a workshop. *
NARRATOR: Corrie worked as a watchmaker in her father’s shop. Along with her family, she offered shelter, food and money to those in need.
We see Corrie give food to a poor man on the street.
NARRATOR: They believed that all people were equal in the eyes of God, no matter what their faith or background was.
*We see a secret doorway opening in a corridor. People are poking their heads out, looking around to make sure the coast is clear. *
NARRATOR: They even built a secret room in their house, so the Jewish people they were helping could hide if the Nazis came to search for them.
JACOB: Did they ever find them?
NARRATOR: No, they never did! But Corrie and her family were eventually arrested and sent to a concentration camp.
*We see Corrie standing behind a podium, giving a speech. *
NARRATOR: Corrie survived the camp. She continued to help those in need and to talk publicly about her experiences as a Christian for the rest of her life.
A new Christian
When someone decides to follow God’s commands and become a Christian, it is like they are beginning a new life. The Bible says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come".
Think of a new Christian as a toddler or a seed. When a toddler is learning to walk and speak, they need lots of support and encouragement. When you plant a seed, you must make sure that you provide it with attention, food and water as it grows into a plant.
In just the same way, a new Christian will require lots of help, support and encouragement as they begin to grow in their new-found faith.
People who are currently on that journey believe that two of their biggest supports are having the Bible to read and being able to pray to God at any time.
Prayer and the Bible
Christians accept that the Bible contains commandments and advice on how to live their everyday lives, even though the Bible was written hundreds of years ago by many different people.
These holy scriptures contain lots of historical stories, encouraging words and promises straight from God. One of these promises is that when God’s people pray, He will always hear their prayers. Perhaps this is why so many Christians get such comfort from being able to pray.
Another way that Christians can gain knowledge and encouragement is by looking at the example of other Christians.
Eric Liddell
Eric Liddell was born into a missionary family over 100 years ago. His parents lived in China and spent their lives teaching the Chinese people about Jesus.
Eric grew to be an incredible athlete. Although he was talented in many different sports, his specialty was the 100 metre sprint. Eric’s goal was to train incredibly hard and eventually get to represent his country, Scotland, at the 1924 Olympics in France.
However, there was a huge problem. The heat for the 100 metre sprint was on a Sunday. Eric Liddell simply would not run on Sunday, as he wanted to obey God’s commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
People were very critical of Eric, as they thought he was wasting the opportunity for himself and Scotland to win a gold medal. Yet, he did not change his mind.
Firm in his belief
Instead, Eric entered the qualifying heats for the 200 metre and the 400 metre running races, as these did not take place on a Sunday.
Not only did he qualify for both races, but Eric went on to win a gold medal at the Olympics in the 400 metre race. He also won a bronze medal in the 200 metre race.
Eric did not compromise his beliefs, and he believed that God rewarded him.
One of Eric’s favourite Bible verses was, “Those who honour me I will honour.”
Later in life, Eric returned to China to work as a missionary, just like his parents. He was always firm in what he believed, which is a great encouragement and reminder to Christians who are growing in their faith.
Now that you have learned about Christians who have set an example for others, find out how the Ten Commandments offer Christians guidance on respecting God and our fellow people.
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