Tonight in our Little Big Church, we looked at the story of “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe” by C. S. Lewis. All year, we have focussed on stories, looking at the parables of Jesus, and so it seemed fitting to ponder another story tonight!
In particular, we looked at quotes on our banners and how these relate also to our Christian faith. The four children who enter Narnia through a wardrobe are known in the book as ‘sons of Adam, daughters of Eve’, reminding us that we are all created by God and created in His image.
In the book, Lucy meets a faun called Mr Tumnus who tells her that Narnia is under the curse of the White Witch and that it is ‘always winter but never Christmas.‘ Winter is a time of barrenness and bleakness; it’s significant that we celebrate the birth of Christ in mid-winter, for Christ’s coming brings light to those living in darkness. (Is 9:2)
Lucy’s brother, Edmund, meets the White Witch and is seduced by her apparent kindness to him (giving him hot chocolate and Turkish Delight.) The White Witch seems to him wonderful; we are reminded that the devil looks like an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14) Edmund reminds us that we all have choices to make and that there is a way that appears to be right which ends in death. (Prov 14:12) It’s because of Edmund’s betrayal of his siblings that Aslan, the rightful ruler of Narnia, has to offer himself as a sacrifice.
Aslan is on the move and therefore there is hope:
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
Aslan is a lion (one who is not safe, but good, a reminder of God’s holiness and the truth that we cannot control Him but that He is good), and we are reminded that Jesus is known as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. (Rev 5:5) It seems the White Witch has triumphed when Aslan is killed, but that is not the end of the story, for the White Witch did not realise that “when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.” Aslan comes back to life, just as Jesus did!
