The Lion, The Witch, and the World Around

     While not everyone entered the wardrobe, it was there for anyone in the house to see. Will you enter in, or will you leave your soul discouraged by unbelief? The wardrobe is there . . . where are you?

     I know I bring up C.S. Lewis a lot, but that is because he had to face many of the same ideological battles that we are still fighting today, and presents his ideas in such a profound and inviting way. In an increasingly secular culture, true virtues are written off as being childish, unimportant, and even irrelevant. This is especially evident when it comes to truth itself. That man over there has his truth, and the woman next to him has her truth, and the child across the way has their truth. Should we just accept that and move on? Here is the better question: can we? How can all of their personally held truth claims be seen as equally valid, even if they all differ and even contradict one another? A house divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:23-26).

“EMBRACE THE LION, RESIST THE WITCH, AND OPEN YOUR EYES LIKE A WARDROBE TO THE GRACE THAT ABOUNDS IN THE WORLD AROUND.”

     In the book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy entered Narnia before anyone else. Yet, nobody would believe her when she first shared her stories. Should we therefore conclude that Lucy had her truth, Peter had his truth, Susan had her truth, and Edmund had his truth? Of course not. The overarching truth was that Lucy did visit Narnia, and the others did not believe her because they had not seen . . . yet. The others initially thought Lucy was either lying, or else insane. That could have been their perception through and through, but that does not mean that it was the truth. Of course, truth does not have to be recognized in order to stand, but we at least have to acknowledge that it is there. In some spaces in our culture, we have even lost the acknowledgement of absolute truth. People may even go as far as to say that there is no such thing as truth. But, here is the kicker: is that true? In the words of the professor in the book, “Logic! . . . Why don’t they teach logic at these schools?” (1). Sadly, I don’t think the professor would say anything different nowadays. 

     Even so, after all being able to enter the wardrobe, the four siblings were kept warm by fur coats, and were guided along by creatures that found their identity in the great lion, Aslan’s, plans and purposes. The plans and purposes that ultimately led to frozen cold statues being once again clothed in the warmth of life; the plans and purposes that defeated the schemes of the witch and her army through a redemptive, sacrificial death; the plans and purposes that offered magnificence, gentleness, justice, and valiance to the four children who trusted the Great Lion.

     Within an ever-changing world full of technology, fast-paced living, and an increasing notion of entitlement, it can be difficult to rest in the peace of what truly matters. It took a retreat from a global war for the Pevensies to realize this. What has it taken, or will it take, for us to come to the same kind of realization? 

     Don’t continue to exchange the truth for a lie, especially a lie that claims that there is no truth (Romans 1:25). We cannot pick and choose what we want to believe about God, but must embrace the whole truth contained within Scripture. In doing that, we will find more grace than we ever thought possible (John 1:14). In the words of Mr. Beaver toward Aslan, “‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you” (2). Therefore, embrace the lion, resist the witch, and open your eyes like a wardrobe to the grace that abounds in the world around.