Jakubczyk on Life

Narnia: The Joy of Truth

The Chronicles of Narnia have long been a part of the Jakubczyk household, though I must confess that it was my beloved wife who brought the name and works of C.S. Lewis to my attention. I was brought up on Tolkien and did not begin my sojourn into the worlds of Narnia or Perelandra until my adult years. So there was great excitement in hearing that the movie "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was to open in December.
Petra and I saw it last night. It was magnificent and very true to the spirit of the book. The producers did not lose the sense of the book, nor did they water down the central meaning of the story. The movie captured the wonder and the confusion of children finding themselves in a strange new land. From the beginning we find ourselves caught up in the magic and the mystery of Narnia where evil's grasp on the fairyland is loosened by the presence of the four children. Indeed their very being means that there will be an end of the reign of terror. So it is that the gospel of Life is prefigured in the this most popular of Lewis' works.
I recall using the initial meeting of Lucy and Mr. Tumnus to remind listeners of one of the more obvious truths: that we are human beings. The faun asks Lucy if she is a 'daughter of Eve.'
"My name's Lucy," said she, not quite understanding him.
"But you are - forgive me - you are what they call a girl?" asked the Faun.
"Of course I'm a girl, said Lucy.
"You are in fact Human?"
"Of course I'm human, said Lucy, still a little puzzled.

Today in this country, no one wants to admit the hard truth, that we are killing our children. But the truth is there and just as in Narnia, the truth brings joy, though there is a severe reality that must be faced. The children marked the coming of Aslan. Their coming also meant a confrontation with evil. And just as the White Witch was defeated in Narnia, so we must defeat the evil in this land.

So go see this movie. Embrace the joy of knowing the truth and that the truth does set us free. Then make that joy a part of your life. Let it reflect your entire being, a being that lives in freedom, the freedom of being truly and completely human.

posted by Jakubczyk on Life @ 11:45 PM