A Conversation with Aslan

I went to see Prince Caspian today. Like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which I watched on DVD last night), the new movie is well done, although it does stray from the storyline in the book a little more than the first.

Rather than posting a review of the movie, I would like to share some reflections about the character of Aslan. In The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis portrays Aslan as the Lion who metaphorically represents Christ. Although written fictitiously Aslan’s words represent the truth of Christ, and we, therefore, have much we can learn from them.

Over the next few days, I’ll post some of my thoughts about conversations various characters have with Aslan in the first two books (and movies) of the series.

Aslan restores Edmund

The background:
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmund Pevensie betrays his brother and sisters and the Beavers (not unlike Judas betrayed Christ, only here, rather than 30 pieces of silver, it was for the false promises of becoming king of Narnia and eating Turkish delight). Not long after his betrayal, he is thrown into the White Witch’s prison and realizes the severity of his action. When Edmund is rescued from the White Witch, he is taken to Aslan’s camp, and Aslan is seen talking with him.

The text:
(The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chapter XV, “Deeper Magic from the Dawn of Time”)

There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what Aslan was saying but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot. As the others drew nearer Aslan turned to meet them bringing Edmund with him.
“Here is your brother,” he said, “and – there is no need o talk to him about what is past.”

Reflection:
When I was watching the scene when Edmund is brought to Aslan’s camp, I, of course, already knew what was going to happen (since I’ve read the book), but Edmund wouldn’t have known. He was probably thinking, “Boy, I’m going to get it.” He betrayed the others. Now he would have to be punished. Instead, he was fully forgiven and restored so he could fulfill his destiny of becoming one of the kings of Narnia.

Aslan (and God) is not the Great Punisher who delights in punishing those who do wrong. (See Ezekiel 33:11f) This does not mean there aren’t consequences to his actions. For example, for all the years that he was king of Narnia, he would constantly be reminded of his betrayal whenever he saw the gifts that his sisters and brothers had each received from Father Christmas when he was with the White Witch.

Aslan saw that Edmund was truly sorry for what he had done and wished to be able to change it. Rather than punishing him in some sort of “time out,” he restored him and told the others there was no need to remember the past.

How like Jesus, who restores tax collectors and prostitutes to their status as children of God? No need to talk about their past, for they have been renewed. That is just what Aslan does for to Edmund.

Notice that the conversation about which C.S. Lewis writes is not what Aslan said to Edmund, but what he said to the other children. They are not to talk about the past. They are not to point out how they got into the mess they’re in, for they are to realize that Edmund already feels so badly about what he did. As Christians we are to model the Father’s forgiveness – called to forgive when someone repents rather than holding their past sins against them.

This is just one of the profound truths from Aslan’s lips which we find in The Chronicles of Narnia.