In Which We Remember We All Started As Lucy

I’ve been at pains to figure out how to shape what Finding Narnia will be.  I’ve never attempted a project such as this before. How does one begin? Topically?  Chronologically? The easiest first step to take is to go through the books and write what thoughts naturally come up.  

Now, there is great debate over which book in the chronicles is technically the “first”.  Do we go with the one that was published first or with Narnian chronology? A similar confusion presents itself when one looks at the Star Wars episodes.  One must be specific as to whether by “first” you mean the prequels or the original trilogy.  

I’ve been at pains to figure out how to shape what Finding Narnia will be.  I’ve never attempted a project such as this before. How does one begin? Topically?  Chronologically? The easiest first step to take is to go through the books and write what thoughts naturally come up.  

For my purposes here the “first” is the book most of us have actually read first.  I’m sure there are some poor souls who read “The Magician’s Nephew” as their first foray into Narnia, but the first book in the canon, for the vast majority of us, was “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”.  There, for better or worse, I plant my flag of expedition and march forward.

I still remember my first copy.  It was the white cover with the children having walked through the door, the woods on either side, a moon and seven stars arched above a castle.  It’s interesting that I never wondered before now if the castle was Cair Paravel or the one belonging to the White Witch. On the cover only Edmund looks back at the viewer.  I’m still not quite sure what that particular detail means, but it does tickle my brain a bit.  

“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was one of the few things in fantasy fiction that my mother didn’t regard as “weird stuff”.  I tried to sneakily get Terry Brooks’ “Sword of Shannara” and Tolkein’s “The Hobbit” past her, but if it had wizards or magic she wouldn’t allow it.  I had a keen interest in Greek mythology and that frowned upon but occasionally allowed because of its status as “classical literature”. But Narnia? At the time I wasn’t aware of any of the classics of Christian apologetics Lewis had written.  That made Narnia acceptable to my mother. If it was Lewis it had to be good. I was almost shocked at how welcomed and even encouraged in our home.

The Chronicles were so celebrated in our home that my dear mother even videotaped the BBC television mini-series of the tale.  I watched the tapes semi-religiously and even thirty years on now there are so many moments from the BBC version that remain fresh and clear in my mind.  Edmund’s first encounter with the White Witch, Father Christmas’ visit, Peter fighting Maugrim, the crowning at Cair Paravel, and the battle at the end were the White Witch finally meets the justice of Aslan.

But, over all others, the moment that comes to mind the most clearly is the moment that always played better visually than when read; the face of Lucy Pevensie when she first leaves behind Spare Oom and War Drobe to enter Narnia for the first time.  

When I attended a showing of the newest first movie in the series I was very trepidatious.  As many literature and film fans can attest, Hollywood has been neither kind nor gracious to lovers of even original source material let alone the original film iteration.  There is this strange desire that they are possessed of to “improve” on something old. In some cases this can be interesting and even illuminating as in the live-action “Cinderella” film. Other times the result can be mildly off putting but the soul is left intact or more typically full on abomination.

I knew one thing for certain; if they managed to get Lucy’s reaction to Narnia right then I could sit back, relax, and be sure I was in good hands.

Why is this such a touchstone for me?  Why do I grin like an idiot every single time that I see it even though I’ve seen it a hundred times?  What is it about Lucy’s awe that is such a crucial thing to the visual story? How is it that her awe reaches inside of me and reawakens awe?

I believe it’s such a connecting moment because we have all had that moment and we used to live there.  There’s a reason all the Chronicles of Narnia feel like coming home.

Here is where I tip my hand and reveal that my blog is not about non-Christians encountering Narnia, rather it is about Christians encountering Narnia.  If you are not a believer, by all means, you are more than welcome here. As a blogger I write about my experience and Christianity is a significant part of that experience.  By all means stay and feel welcome. I’m merely letting you know the JPMs (Jesus Per Minutes) are going to be fluctuating from moderate to high.  

Do you remember as a child being in Sunday School and hearing story after story of the goodness of God?  We would sing a song about the whole world being in Hands, and oh how He loved us; all the children of the world.  The stories were full of miraculous events, heroes and heroines whom God chose,stood by, and supported. Everyone remembers hearing of the Garden of Eden, Samson, the sacrifice of Isaac, Gideon’s army, David and Goliath, and of course Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  

Our tiny spiritual world as a child was full of wonder and enchantment.  I haven’t yet met a child in church that didn’t fully believe that God could do anything.  He sent the plagues to Egypt and parted the Red Sea. He saved Daniel from a den full of hungry lions.  He brought Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego out of the fiery furnace without a whiff of smoke on them. Our God invited Enoch bodily to go to heaven with Him, sent a fiery chariot to pick up Elijah, stopped the Earth from moving so the sun would continue to shine on a battle for a little longer.  

Lucy’s sense of wonder was our sense of wonder.  Narnia is a reminder that that awe is still there and still exists.  It is a tiny ember, a mere flicker in most of us, but it can become a full flame if we tend it.

Peter, Susan, and Edmund are all archetypes of what we become when we leave Narnia behind in our souls.  We have traded Narnia for lesser things, not the least of which are stockings, lipsticks, and dances. The supposedly real world captured our attention more than the Great Lion we once fought side by side in battle with and were blessed and loved by.  

I dare you to believe we can get back there again.  

It is my assertion that wonder and enchantment are the breadcrumb trail back to seeing God for  who He is and seeing the world as it actually is, not as the World has convinced us it is.  The magic and enchantment, the triplets of wonder, joy, and whimsy are all around us and accessible even in the darkest times.  We must remember again that we all started as Lucy and we can work back to her glowing, lovely, cherished heart again that never lets go of the Truth.