While we were in Europe this summer, we decided to hop over to pre-Olympic London for a couple of days. We found an affordable hotel just across from Kensington Palace where it just so happened that the ThreeSixty Theatre Group was performing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a play based on the classic book by C. S. Lewis. On a cool evening under a circus tent in Kate and William’s neighborhood, we watched the wonderful story of Jesus translated to the land of Narnia.
In the 1940s, as four children from war-torn London entered a magical world, they found talking animals and a kingdom poisoned by the White Witch. Tragically one of the children, Edmund, is quickly deceived — blinded by the evil witch. Where was hope?
Matilda Battersby, a writer for Britain’s The Independent, did not seem too impressed with the first part of the play (though eight-year-old John and the rest of us were mesmerized). But when the Lion came on the scene, even a hard-to-please critic was impressed: “Things picked up in the second half with the arrival of Aslan… He stole the show.” (May 30, 2012)
Is that not the world’s greatest truth? When Aslan comes… everything changes. When Jesus truly enters the picture… people are impacted. Some hear His Name and resist His love and His will; others hear His voice and are awakened to eternity.
C. S. Lewis put it this way in his book:
Here the Beaver’s voice sank into silence and it gave one or two very mysterious nods. Then signaling to the children to stand close around it as they possibly could, so their faces were actually tickled by its whiskers, it added in a low whisper — “They say Aslan is on the move — perhaps has already landed.”
None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning — either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again.
It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in it’s inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.
(From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis; copyright 1950 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd.; p 74)
As Jesus continues to be the hope of the world, may we be among those who carefully proclaim His Name.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…” II Corinthians 4:3-5