Aslan is on the move

Today I woke up still feeling the effects of what may be a head cold, or allergies, and with the added element of a lower back in spasm. Colds or allergies I have dealt with but every step or movement accompanied by shooting pain whether sitting, lying, standing or walking is a new challenge.

It definitely brings me into the moment.

The weather outside seemed a good reflection of my internal state. Even in this I see a beauty though. Let me see if I can explain it.

I am reading the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I had loved the Narnia books as a kid, and have eagerly watched the first two movies as they've come out in the past few years with stunning special effects.

Going back to the original book I am a much different person than the one who read it probably 26 years ago. In the dedication, C.S. Lewis writes the following:

To Lucy Barfield

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,

C.S. Lewis

I think in some way, C.S. Lewis is the affectionate Godfather to all of us who are seeking a path which can only be found by chance, through an old wardrobe, a song, an unplanned meeting with a horse, a poem, or a certain type of human being.

In the books, he leads us in his gentle way into the land of witches and lions, talking animals, and stone statues. I get the feeling that he is right there, holding my hand as I, little Lucy, say out what I see, whether or not others can see it too. Some listen and don't believe, others might have seen it too, and still others are so wrapped up in their desperate attempts to look good and be important, that they will even deny what they've seen.

The message that strikes me in this moment is from the part of the book where the children first enter Narnia and are taken into the home of the Beavers. They want to save Mr. Tumnus, the faun, and their brother Edmund, both of whom are in the power of the White Witch. The children think that what must be done is to go directly to the Witch's castle and find some way to rescue their friend and brother.

The Beavers know differently. They have heard that Aslan is on the move. They know, beyond a doubt that the only way to have a chance of saving Edmund and Tumnus is to go first to meet Aslan.

"Who is Aslan?" Susan inquires.

The rest of the books are meant to introduce us Lucys and Susans and Peters and Edmunds to who and what Aslan is. There is no answer which can be written and encompass Aslan, he can only be known through a feeling that we tune into and can be guided by. I believe animals live in Aslan's kingdom. Adult humans need to be reminded of it and guided as best we can guide each other to remembering that once we are part of this kingdom, there is nothing the White Which can do that will harm us.

My last posts have inspired many new questions and ideas to debate, which I guessed would be the case. If I've absorbed anything in the past 4 years, it is that the path to Aslan's kingdom does not lie on this level. Eventually we all may find solutions to our problems, and I will do whatever I can to help.

Right now, the shooting pain in my body calls me to end this post. What is it in the moment for you? How long have you been sitting at your computer? What else are you avoiding by choosing to do this? The path to Aslan's kingdom lies only in this moment, not whether you ride your horse tomorrow or not.

Here's a view of my office. The space where dreams are created.