Ahhh, Narnia!

We have a rock solid tradition in our family. At least a half an hour before the light goes off, prayers get said, heads plop down, and eyes shut tight, we read. Over the years our reading has taken in a number of authors, subjects, and genres. We've sailed with Capt. Nemo on the Nautilus, we've teseract-ed with Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which, we've partied with Willy Wonka, and rhymed with Shel Silverstein. However, one of the greatest adventures (at least the one Rachel and I took, on and off, over about an 18 mth period) was through the wardrobe and into Narnia. Whenever Rachel and I would end a volume, or begin a new one, Abbie (the second in line) begged me to read them to her.

"When your old enough, I promise we'll read them all," I'd say.
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
"When will that be, Daddy?"
"Oh...not long, sweetie."

After two years, the time arrived. (I think I'm the more excited of the two.)

I said all that to say this: A few nights ago, we read my favorite line in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and my heart sang. If you don't know much about the Chronicles of Narnia series, most of it revolves around 4 children and a hero/savior. By some mystical happenstance the 4 children find themselves in a foreign, and often hostile, world. (Sounds a lot like me...can you identify?) Not understanding their purpose, or goal, the children resign themselves to the guidance of a friendly beaver, who tells them of their enemy (the White Witch - who likes to turn things to stone) and an elusive rescuer (Aslan). Sitting around a fire after dinner, the beaver attempts to explain to the children who Aslan is.

"Is-is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said the Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good...."

I love that line. Of course he isn't safe! Safe? Safe? No way! Now, what makes that line so appealing to me is that C.S. Lewis was a Christian, and the Aslan character in the Chronicles is a Christ figure. When the Beaver talks about Aslan, Lewis is really speaking of Christ. Safe? "'Course he isn't safe." How true that is. Just read the first few chapters of Revelation. Voice like thunder, eyes like fire, a sword coming out of his mouth...there is nothing in that description that sounds "safe." As a matter of fact, the description of Christ there sounds a bit more terrifying, a bit more "knee-knocking," than safe. Yet, as frightening, or "unsafe," as Christ can be, the rest of the description also holds true.

"'Course he isn't safe.....BUT HE'S GOOD." Jesus' words in John ring in my head, "I'm the good shepherd." Or Peter's admonition, "...now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." Or the prayer before the Temple - at least as the Chronicler remembered it - "He is good; his love endures forever." And He is good, and His goodness is my lifeline. As Jenn and I struggle with each other, with the hurt that I've caused her and my family, with anger at many things, with our direction-lessness, with our questions, with our this and our that...as our situation seems desperate and ineffective, as we've turned our circumstances over to this "unsafe" Christ, I have to remember, this basic and important lesson from Narnia. Despite how things seem, He is good. Yes, He is good.