CS Lewis- The Chronicles of Narnia

CS Lewis is quoted more often by general authorities of the church than any other nonmember. Why? Because he was a brilliant wordsmith. He could create images out of words like no body else.

He was a fairly prolific writer, and there are many books by him out there. They vary, quite a bit, in their level, ease of reading, and content. But, one thing is always there, and that is religious symbols and moral lessons.

If you haven't read them, or if you have, The Chronicles of Narnia are, in my opinion, the best children's literature. They are brilliant, with symbols and parables woven into a captivating story line. One of the central characters is Aslan, a symbol of Christ throughout all of the books.

Yes, they made movies out of some of them. I went and saw the movie when it first came out. I sat in front of some obnoxious women who couldn't keep their commentary to themselves. Annoying, for sure. In this portion of the story, Aslan is killed by the wicked. Afterwards, he is brought back to life. Hm, sound familiar? Like, you know, the whole resurrection. Well, this lady very loudly spits out "Yeah, right, like that could happen". Um, yes. It could, it did, and it will. I think she missed the whole point of the movie.

Don't do that. Don't miss the point of these books. They are fun stories, sure, but they teach great lessons.

My favorite literary scene is found in "The Silver Chair", one of the later books in the series. The Prince of Narnia (Aslan's country) has been captured by the evil witch of the underground. She has convinced him that Narnia and Aslan don't exist. Isn't that a great tactic of Satan's, to convince us that Christ and Heaven don't exist? The children who are sent by Aslan to rescue him and have helped him realize the truth. The evil witch comes back, and now tries to convince the children and the prince that their world is false, a lie. She tells them it is a figment of their imagination, that they have only imagined things like the sun, grass, and Aslan himself.

Just as the group is almost intranced by her, one of them snaps out of it and gives an amazing speech on what she had just said. He says that, even if it was imagined, how much better they are for having imagined it, and how much better they can live with that hope and dream, rather than being stuck in this murky, dark, and miserable world. He says, "I am on Aslan's side, even if their is no Aslan. I am a Narian, even if there is no Narnia." He then goes on to say there is one, and the spell is broken.

Can you see the beauty of that scene? How powerful are we when we testify? How much more is Satan's grasp loosened when we declare our convictions? Look at Satan's tactics, to lull us away, believing that this world is all there is. And, even if the whole idea of a heaven and a God is false, how much happier are we with that belief? Obviously, that idea isn't false, there is a Heaven, and a God, and a Savior. As we declare our committment to Him, Satan is weakened.

If you are looking for a story to read to your kids, or a quick read for yourself, pick up one of the series. I can read one in one afternoon. They are sweet, simple, and powerful.