Aslan

I'll admit it: I have never read any of the Narnia books before. However, the one part of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that I have heard talked about multiple times is in the chapter "What Happened after Dinner" where Lucy asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe. Mr. Beaver replies, "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Peter then states, "I'm longing to see him...even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point."

I think one reason why this sticks out to me right now is because Tuesday's (I think) chapel was somewhat related to this idea. It becomes clear after reading the book that Aslan isn't always the nice, tame leader who always has his emotions under control: he's described as a "wild" lion in the book. To me, Lewis's descriptions of Aslan that range from the gentle lion to the untamed, primal beast are a breath of fresh air. I'm not trying to preach here, but it's so easy to focus on the personal aspect of our relationship with God and forget that it is, well, God. Focusing on the personal, intimate aspect of God often forces out the majesty, power, wrath (and so on) of Him. One part of the story that caught my attention was after Aslan conquers death at the stone table and warns the children he is going to roar. As Aslan opens his mouth, Lewis says, "...his face became so terrible that they did not dare to look at it" (CH 15).

I really appreciate the way Lewis describes Aslan throughout the book. I think he strikes a great balance between the personal side of Aslan and the wild, unimaginable power that he also has.