An Advent Analogy
"Here’s an Advent illustration for kids – and those of us who used to be kids and remember what it was like..."—John Piper
It's a beautiful thing to hear an older, wiser person—perhaps a pastor or a grandparent—explaining truth in a way that is perfectly crafted for little minds. When you hear it, you want your children to listen because you feel so sure it will connect with their hearts. This brief podcast episode from John Piper's Advent devotional is just such a one. You can read it, but it's even better listening. You'll probably want your children to hear it too. Let it inspire you to think of more ways to connect their childhood experiences with the truths of Scripture! Listen to Replacing the Shadows
By the way, the rhetorical device that Pastor Piper makes use of here is analogy, and it's closely connected to the figures like simile and metaphor. Analogy is a time-tested way to help your readers and listeners understand a complex concept. It's one way that the infinite Lord God accommodates Himself to finite humans in His Word. The incarnate Lord Jesus Himself is the master of analogies, comparing the kingdom of God to things like mustard seeds, pearls, and fields.
At Cottage Press, we teach students to begin including their own analogies in their writing starting in Poetics & Progym I.
