"It's no good, Son of Adam," said Mr Beaver, "no good your trying, of all people. But now that Aslan is on the move-"
"Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!" said several voices at once; for once again that strange feeling - like the first signs of spring, like good news, had come over them.
"Who is Aslan?" asked Susan. "Aslan?" said Mr Beaver.
"Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand.
Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment.
He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr Tumnus."
"She won't turn him into stone too?" said Edmund.
"Lord love you, Son of Adam, what a simple thing to say!" answered Mr Beaver with a great laugh.
"Turn him into stone? If she can stand on her two feet and look him in the face it'll be the most she can do and more than I expect of her. No, no. He'll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts:
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.
You'll understand when you see him."
"But shall we see him?" asked Susan.
"Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for. I'm to lead you where you shall meet him," said Mr Beaver. "Is-is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly.
"Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the 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. He's the King, I tell you."
( The Lion the Witch & The Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis. p. 74-75 )
* * * * * * * * * *
Last weekend and J.Well, Pastor Paul shared part of this passage during a service. It had been a while since I'd heard it, but Lewis' words drifted me back to the first time I heard The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as a child. Aslan has always had a dear place in my heart. From performing in Narnia plays in elementary and middle school as the Lion himself, to family traditions of reading and reflecting on the series, Aslan has seemed to be a large part of my childhood. This past weekend I reflected with friends while heading back from church;
i think i had a love for Aslan before i even had a love for Jesus.
and in someways i think that has been true. as a child, Aslan was the easier, tangible representation of the true Savior. he not the One himself, but as a representation of Christ. Aslan was one of my first true snapshots not only into truly grasping who Jesus was, but who he and is.
It is in
His roar and His kindness.
His quick pursuit and His patient presence.
His fierce triumph and His gentle words.
His hard gifts and His joyful eyes.
His supremacy and His personal intimacy.
His song and His stillness.
His mourning and His victory.
Perhaps you may think I'm still referring to Aslan. But these are the marks that have led me to know Jesus, and deeper still.
"Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!" said several voices at once; for once again that strange feeling - like the first signs of spring, like good news, had come over them.
"Who is Aslan?" asked Susan. "Aslan?" said Mr Beaver.
"Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand.
Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment.
He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr Tumnus."
"She won't turn him into stone too?" said Edmund.
"Lord love you, Son of Adam, what a simple thing to say!" answered Mr Beaver with a great laugh.
"Turn him into stone? If she can stand on her two feet and look him in the face it'll be the most she can do and more than I expect of her. No, no. He'll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts:
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.
You'll understand when you see him."
"But shall we see him?" asked Susan.
"Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for. I'm to lead you where you shall meet him," said Mr Beaver. "Is-is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly.
"Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the 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. He's the King, I tell you."
( The Lion the Witch & The Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis. p. 74-75 )
* * * * * * * * * *
Last weekend and J.Well, Pastor Paul shared part of this passage during a service. It had been a while since I'd heard it, but Lewis' words drifted me back to the first time I heard The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as a child. Aslan has always had a dear place in my heart. From performing in Narnia plays in elementary and middle school as the Lion himself, to family traditions of reading and reflecting on the series, Aslan has seemed to be a large part of my childhood. This past weekend I reflected with friends while heading back from church;
i think i had a love for Aslan before i even had a love for Jesus.
and in someways i think that has been true. as a child, Aslan was the easier, tangible representation of the true Savior. he not the One himself, but as a representation of Christ. Aslan was one of my first true snapshots not only into truly grasping who Jesus was, but who he and is.
It is in
His roar and His kindness.
His quick pursuit and His patient presence.
His fierce triumph and His gentle words.
His hard gifts and His joyful eyes.
His supremacy and His personal intimacy.
His song and His stillness.
His mourning and His victory.
Perhaps you may think I'm still referring to Aslan. But these are the marks that have led me to know Jesus, and deeper still.