I’ve been re-watching / reading the chronicles of narnia, and it’s been wrecking me. Every passage is masterfully woven towards a greater concept about the makeup of a human.
In the beginning of the movie the mother (the adult world) addresses her children by what they are to do. Edmund has to listen to his brother, Susan has to be a grown up, and Peter has to protect his family. And throughout the movie they all fail, because they weren’t given their identity, they were rushed into adulthood, by being given a task. Lucie is considered too young and incapable to be given a task so the mother doesn’t even address her. Because to the world, if you’re not capable of doing, you’re not worth the time it takes to acknowledge your existence. Funny enough, the most childlike one of the group found the kingdom first. Lucie had no burden other than to just be, and she’s the one who found the King the fastest.
The thing that stood out to me this morning is the ending of the first movie when Aslan is crowning the children as kings and queens, and there’s so much to unpack it wouldn’t fit in a post.
But Aslan doesn’t tell them what to do, he tells them who they are. He acknowledges Lucy as valiant. There’s a pure form of bravery in child like faith. She wasn’t afraid, because she trusted the King.
He acknowledges Peter as magnificent, and in a way honors the journey he went on from being a boy into a man. Aslan acknowledges the beauty of Peter’s boyhood, and his journey. Peter was overlooked because the world demanded that he leave behind an important part of his journey and “man up” and Aslan gives it back to him.
He calls Susan “Gentle”, emphasizing it wasn’t about her acting like a “grown up”, and instead Aslan acknowledges WHO she was at her core. Susan’s strength came from her kindness and she finally understood it.
The most profound title to me:
He addresses Edmund as King Edmund, the Just. I think He did this because more than anything Edmund had a deeply profound and intimate relationship with mercy and grace, and therefore had the capacity to be just. Edmund could be “just” because he knew the height and depth and expanse of grace. Aslan never tells Edmund what to do, and Edmund knows just how helpless he is. But he finds compassion and his true character is revealed when he’s shown grace by the King. And when Edmund is given Grace and love, the King in him comes forth with bravery and honor and sacrifice. When Edmund was given love (not power that the witch offered), he stepped into his anointing.
All three failed at the task the world laid on them, and instead found victory in the truth of their identity.
Just a thought for the day.
Finding Gold 