How does one get into another world? In The Silver Chair, when Eustace ponders the possibility of returning to Narnia with Jill, he suggests that there might be something they can do to make it happen. Jill questions whether or not circles on the ground or the recitation of charms and spells would be useful. But Eustace replies, “I don’t think he’d (Aslan) like them. It would look as if we thought we could make him do things. But really, we can only ask him.” Here, Eustace acknowledges that it is only through Aslan’s power that they can find passage into Narnia, but he and Jill still proceed to awkwardly stand side by side with their arms held out in front of them and their palms down, facing eastward while chanting “Aslan, Aslan, Aslan.” In my mind, this picture is quite comical and ridiculous. Their little ritual is interrupted by the voices of several bullies who are coming to torment Jill. In an attempt to escape, Jill and Eustace find themselves going through a door in the stone wall surrounding their school, a door which, instead of taking them to the moors, opens into an entirely new world.
So, how did they get in? Was it Eustace’s initial desire to return? Was it their awkward, unusual ritual of chanting Aslan’s name? Was it because they were in a dire circumstance (the bullies pursuing them), and Aslan allowed for their escape? Or, did it have absolutely nothing to do with their circumstance and desire? Maybe they were called.Aslan speaks with Jill after the arrival of the children into the new land, saying that he called them out of their world to complete a specific task. Jill is very puzzled at the concept of this calling:
"I was wondering – I mean – could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to – to Somebody – it was a name I wouldn’t know – and perhaps Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open.” Aslan replies, “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you."
Putting two and two together, Jill questions, “Then you are Somebody, Sir?” “Yes,” Aslan reaffirms her conclusion, “I am.”
This conversation is PACKED with theological implications! If entering Narnia is a parallel the Christian’s acceptance of Christ, then Jesus’ words in John 15:16 are poignantly linked to this conversation. He says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit…” (See also Romans 9). Aslan basically says the same thing to Jill. You did not choose to come to Narnia. You wouldn’t have had the desire to come unless I had called you first. This parallel to predestination could be taken even further and applied to the other books as well, but I will just leave you with this particular example from The Silver Chair for now. One last thing though… did you notice what Aslan said at the end of the conversation with Jill? “I am.” Sounds familiar, huh?
I think Heather did some great observing. There are some massive truths that we can get about election and predestination when we look at them with a Narnian lense. There is a reformed saying that goes like this: On the Gate of Heaven it is written 'come all who will..." but after you enter and look back, you will new words that say "for you were called since the beginning of the world."
ReplyDeleteSomething that I don't quite understand about Arminianism (and I think this Aslan analogy will make it look sillier) is the thought of a "final human vote." Why are some humans able to see the truth and some aren't? Is it because the Christians were more intelligent that they came to Christ? Better genetics maybe? Were the culteral settings more favorable and so it was merely by chance that some came to the faith?
I believe that Romans 9-12, Ephesians 1 and hundreds of other scriptural references make the answer a clear "no." Aslan also dropps hints like he did to Jill. His references to deep magic imply some sort of divine plan that has been engaged since creation. The phrase "one a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia," must be taken not only as 'from here on out I am a king in Narnia.' Instead the thinking should be, Aslan saw it good that I have always been a king, and will always be a king.'
Good thoughts heather.
I very much like this bit: "It would look as if we thought we could make him do things. But really, we can only ask him.” We don't often mutter incantations. But in what ways do we assume that we can get God to do what we want? How do we see God a force we can harness to our own ends? Maybe we can think of obvious examples of this in others. Perhaps there are less obvious examples of it in ourselves, too.
ReplyDeleteI should also point out that, in the end, Lewis isn't really a Calvinist....