Aslan Returns - Part II

As one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century, C.S. Lewis spoke truth to a generation that seemed to be on the right track. His classics of theology and allegory captivate minds even 50+ years later. But as we delve into the story of Aslan the ferocious savior lion— once again, it is quite obvious that Lewis recognized the inadequacies of the worldly nature of man and held no punches in the distribution of life-changing truth even in his so-called children's books.

We pick up more than a millennia worth of Narnia years down the road. Prince Caspian is fighting the forces of evil to no avail, and everyone, save for a few holdouts and believers, has forgotten the ultimate sacrifice and triumph of the lion King Aslan. He has been relegated, along with the first of His followers, royalty themselves, to the fallacy of folklore and tall tales.

As Prince Caspian fights for good, he is struggling to stay afloat with his tiny band of disciples. Several insurgents and rebels, who mean well, but do not believe, approach the prince with an opportunity to defeat his present day foes, as they have all but given up hope for the glorious reappearing of Aslan:

"’'Either Aslan is dead, or he is not on our side. Or else something stronger than himself keeps him back. And if he did come— how do we know he'd be our friend? He was not always a good friend to Dwarfs by all that'’s told. Not even to all beasts. Ask the Wolves. And anyway, he was in Narnia only once that I ever heard of, and he didn't stay long. You may drop Aslan out of the reckoning. I was thinking of someone else.

'Whom do you mean?' said Caspian at last.

‘ 'I mean a power so much greater than Aslan'’s that it held Narnia spellbound for years and years, if the stories are true.'

'The White Witch!' cried three voices all at once, and from the noise Peter guessed that three people had leaped to their feet.

'Yes,'’ said Nikabrik very slowly and distinctly, 'I mean the Witch. Sit down again. Don't all take fright at a name as if you were children. We want power; and we want a power that will be on our side. As for power, do not the stories say that the Witch defeated Aslan, and bound him, and killed him on that very stone which is over there, just beyond the light?'

'But they also say that he came to life again,' said the badger sharply.

'Yes, they say,'’ answered Nikabrik, '‘but you'’ll notice that we hear precious little about anything he did afterwards. He just fades out of the story. How do you explain that, if he really came to life? Isn't it much more likely that he didn't, and that the stories say nothing more about him because there was nothing more to say?'"”

Excerpt from Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, 1951.

In times of trouble we run to whatever power we have at the top of our memory. What if we no longer existed on an earthly timetable, but instead waited on God's time —— he has existed since before time, you know?

I, like a child, often find myself doubting the "“stories."” But what if, what if, the "“stories"” are true. Instead of believing the lies of those who combat the truth and sluff off the supernatural, we might try giving truth a try.

Nikabrik was wrong. Not for questioning, but for his distorting the truth for his own gain. There is so much more to say, Aslan'’s story did not end on the stone where He willingly went to death for humanity — A dead lion doesn'’t do a whole lot of good, His resurrection is THE key to the redemption of Narnia. And His glorious reappearing would happen when it was supposed to happen:

"At the sight of Aslan the cheeks of the Telmarine soldiers became the colour of cold gravy, their knees knocked together, and many fell on their faces. They had not believed in lions and this made their fear greater."

And what if we are just wasting our time calling on all the powers that be in the universe, even the despicably evil ones, all while the King, the true King, the resurrected Lion of Judah is calling our name and waiting for us to say "Yes"” to Him.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)