The Witch, The Lion and The Wardrobe

OK, before any of you purists correct my title, I realize that it is not accurate, but that is the way Harper says it and so that is the way it is going to be.

Of all the exciting Christmas gifts my kids unwrapped this year, the one I least expected to have any kind of lasting impact was this book. When I first saw it, I thought, "Oh, CS Lewis...cool, maybe in four or five years our kids can begin to enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia."

I could not have been more wrong. Over the past month or so the characters and stories within this book have been the centerpiece of conversation within our home. Dreams about the witch, fantasies of Aslan's strength, and pictures of Mr. Tumnus have been the currency of life for the Keever kids.

All of this has me thinking, well actually baffled. I mean how in the world does he (CS Lewis) do it? How could an old dead Irish/Britt captivate the minds and imaginations of two American suburuban kids in 2009? I wracked my mind to think about what he could possibly have in common with my kids that would allow him a window into their soul. An intellectual whose closest friends were professors and scholars! He liked to hang out in bars and smoke pipes. Born in the 1800's in Ireland, he spent most of his adult life in England. He married late in life and never had children of his own. So what is it? How could it be? What could he possibly have in common with my kids?

Then it hit me.....JESUS! They have the gospel in common. The metanarrative that shapes all of our lives. The story of creation, fall, and redemption. The battle between good and evil. A superhero that makes all things right in the end. That is what they have in common. And as a skilled (maybe I should say gifted) writer, he disciplined himself enough to write in such a way that kids hundreds of years later would hear and understand the gospel. Wow! Thanks Clive! You are amazing. How cool to know that long after you are gone people's lives are being shaped by your faithfulness! I think all of us would like to leave such a legacy!