Prince Caspian

It is interesting that in every story that C.S. Lewis has written about Narnia, it is the adults of mankind who have forgotten the stories of Old Narnia. It is as if he wrote children's stories for adults to remember and be awoken from their adult concerns that there is another world that is more real than this one in which we exist. In the story of Prince Caspian it is the evil Uncle Miraz that has forgotten or refuses to remember the Old Narnia that once existed with talking animals and magical creatures. He takes all effort of suppress this thinking in the minds of those he rules in the Land of Narnia. I think that C.S. Lewis is pressing the issue here that what we have learned as children about God, our Father, has been forgotten, or rather suppressed by the culture in which we live. This story is about remembering and reviving the old ways and it is as relevant to us today as it was when he wrote it.

Prince Caspian has heard the old stories from those who have cared for him when he was young in his education. Something inside of him stirs when he hears the stories of the Old Kings and Queens of Narnia and of the Deep Magic within the Lion, Himself. So it is with us that believe in Christ. We often feel that movement within our hearts when we really take time to realize the depth to which the cosmic drama of Christ's death on the cross as gone for our salvation. We are moved to outside of ourselves that no longer seek our selfish ways.

As Prince Caspian escapes the castle and his evil uncle, he finds that there are others of Old Narnia that have been in hiding deep in the forest. There are others that believe and desire to see Aslan move once again the way that once did. It had been a long time since anyone had heard from the great Lion, and it is here that I most resonate with the writing of C.S. Lewis. You see, we are in that time frame right now. The great encouragment of these stories is that Aslan always shows up to save the day and do his will. It is never the way we expect nor the timing we desire. And often our part of the story is done by stumbling our way through life, but Aslan always arrives. We are in that moment of the story where people are not sure they believe. Some are moved to believe what they can not see because they trust the old stories.

Do we trust the old stories we find in Scripture? Are we skeptical about the truth of great Savior that once did miracles and rose from the dead? We can not let the reason of our day overwhelm us with disbelief. We must believe the old stories and trust that Christ will come again when the timing is right. The difference with Narnia is that they did not have a Word written down for them from Aslan. We, however, have the very thoughts of God written out for us.

Ofcourse, in this story Aslan returns and sets all things right with the heroes of our story, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. They are the instruments of Aslan to bring about his will and then they are returned to their world. In what way could we be used today for the will of God?