I had forgotten the full power and charm of Narnia.
Harry had pulled a selection of books off the shelf (he loves a stack of books to look through) and had included 'The Silver Chair'. I grabbed it on my way out the other day and was immediately lost in another world.
Jill and Eustace are whisked away from their school to Narnia- they meet the wonderful elusive Aslan on top of a mountain and are given a task and four signs. But he warns them- 'up here your minds are clear but down in Narnia they will become clouded'- it will be hard to remember the call with clarity once they are off the mountain-top. They struggle on, messing up more than once, yet holding on to faithfulness to the Someone who sent them and whose purpose is ultimately fulfilled despite the weakness of those he chose to send.
What a beautiful way to illustrate what a life of faith looks like.
A highlight for me is when the children and their companion (Puddleglum, a Marsh-Wiggle) are being enchanted by the witch to forget all about Aslan and Narnia, to believe that her underground world was all there ever was and anything else a figment of their imagination. Then comes a beautiful speech from Puddlegum:
"'One word, Ma'am,' he said... 'One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things--trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Supose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say."
The truth is that a life of faith is a struggle and at times our minds and hearts are wearied or enchanted just as the Narnian travellers' were, but oh! what an encouragement we have to persevere!
'There is wonderful joy ahead.'
This afternoon I came across this, which explores the notion of taking encouragement from Narnian stories into our own lives ** ("It was never about Narnia" [Lewis] writes. We must learn what Aslan is called in our own world.) I loved Aslan with all my heart as a child. I still do.
*1 Peter 1:6
** The Rabbit Room is written by a group of US Christian creatives and 'Hutchmoot' is their annual gathering.
